Steal Me
by kalebxdd
Summary: He is a master thief. She is the daughter of one of the world's richest men. They happen to meet by chance, but it is fate that draws them closer together. And that fate is dark... A/U
1. Shoes for a pretty girl

**Okay, so here goes, my first attempt at a multi-chaptered Naruto fic.**

 **Please let me know what you think in the reviews :)**

 **Now please read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki's eyes flashed open as the first rays of morning sun crept their curious fingers along the horizon. He was awake at once. He had never been one for sleeping in. Even as a child he had to remain watchful at all times; his 'brothers and sisters' at the orphanage were apt to steal his covers if he wasn't careful. Eventually it became just another habit that he wouldn't be able to break.

His morning routine was pretty standard. He took a quick shower, praying to the heavens that the girl in his bed wouldn't stir at the sound. He was not in the mood for that yet. Maybe he wouldn't be at all today. After toweling off Naruto pulled on his favourite tracksuit, a bright orange monstrosity that clashed horribly with his blond hair. The looks that he got when he wore it could always make him smile. In some ways he liked being noticed, he enjoyed being the centre of attention.

As he exited the bedroom he stepped around with great care. The room was an explosion of clothes and scattered dishes, so one wrong step would cost him his life. He closed the door behind him softly.

While the coffee maker hummed a tune that was like music to the ears, Naruto did a quick run through of his apartment, picking up litter and putting plates and glasses away in the dishwasher. _She_ could clean out the bedroom when she woke up herself. God knew she never did anything around the place. He only allowed her to live here for free anyway, so what was the problem there? Well, nothing, of course!

Not that he lived in luxury, but he managed. He had a roof over his head and walls to support it, and even though they could use a lick of paint, and the door squeaked when you opened it, Naruto wasn't complaining. He had worked hard to earn himself a place to live, so now that he had one he wasn't going to spoil it by getting on his landlord's nerves. It was bad enough that she considered him to be a lazy bastard; on paper he was unemployed.

He gulped down his scalding hot coffee in three big gulps, put the cup away and headed out the door, stuffing his keys into the pocket of his tracksuit. It was time for his morning run.

Naruto lived in an apartment complex in the suburbs near Konoha's centre. The neighbourhood was a magnet for the out of work or those who preferred to keep their jobs under the radar. Most of the buildings were starting to come apart, but that did not stop the truly desperate from using them. Poverty could do terrible things to people.

He passed a block of houses without really looking at them; the boarded up windows were a glum reminder of his every situation. He was working on changing it, though. A red and yellow slide was condemned to rust on the playground at the corner of the street. At the foot of this slide a young man was sitting. Naruto waved at him and the young man walked over.

"Mooorning," the boy said, copying Naruto's lackluster greeting. The kid's name was Kiba and he was Naruto's age. Sixteen years ago when Naruto was only three years old, Kiba had come to his aid when a few boys from the orphanage threatened to beat him up if he didn't give them the new toy car he had gotten for his birthday. The bigger boys had laughed at Kiba and had pushed him around, but when Kiba had whistled with his fingers a gigantic brown dog had come sailing around the corner, barking and growling and snapping its jaws. Needless to say it was the end of that particular falling out.

Ever since then Kiba and Naruto had been friends. They did not see each other a whole lot these days, but they lined up their schedules every week to try and get in a run or two.

"Morning," Naruto replied, not really looking at Kiba. He was focused instead on the tiny creature shuffling in Kiba's wake. "Akamaru," Naruto greeted the dog, holding out a hand for the pup to sniff at. Akamaru crinkled his nose a few times, then began to bounce around Naruto's ankles in a happy fashion.

"At least someone's excited."

"Ah, c'mon man, let's go already!" Kiba shouted, slapping Naruto on the back. He jogged off without giving Naruto the time to reply, who after rolling his eyes went in pursuit.

They ran for a while without speaking to each other. The sidewalks were empty at this early hour and there was hardly any traffic to add to the noise. The two boys jogged in the direction of the city's centre, greeting a familiar face here and there. It wasn't until they had passed Naruto's favourite ramen restaurant that Kiba decided to speak up.

"So, still out lookin'?" he asked. This referred to Naruto's job hunt, the one he wasn't putting any effort in whatsoever.

"Uh-huh," Naruto mumbled. "Not much success yet, but perhaps I can get Kakashi to give me some hours. He's been complaining about his staff too much."

"What's he do again?"

Naruto couldn't help but grimace at the poor use of language. "He sells used electronics, remember?"

"Oh, and you want the job because it's totally your field of expertise."

Naruto flipped him off as they rounded a corner. Kiba laughed.

They were fast approaching their first stop of the day. Naruto was glad to have himself a moment of rest; today just did not feel like _his_ day. He had that sometimes, this complete and total absence of motivation. Kiba had told him once how he thought that Naruto might be depressed, but that was far from the truth. No, Naruto simply hated his pedestrian life. He loathed the days were nothing happened, save for the rain that fell from the gray skies. He might have delusions of grandeur, but like many people did, Naruto believed that he was capable of much greater things. He knew so. He had already proven himself so and he would do it again. Only not today.

Today was just... boring.

Naruto and Kiba always stopped for a cup of coffee by the cart in front of Konoha's Museum of Natural History. It was a small family business and every morning around this time the daughter of the owner would be standing behind the cash register. Kiba was head over heels with the girl, poor bastard. He didn't have a chance in hell of getting with her and Naruto pitied him for not realising this, but at least it provided Naruto with something that resembled amusement.

Kiba went for the sly tactic today, acting as if he hadn't even seen the girl of his dreams and rather keeping his conversation with Naruto going.

"So, what does _she_ think about you not being successful yet?" Kiba put emphasis on _she_ , much like Naruto always did. He had told Kiba long ago that he wasn't too keen on discussing anything related to her, even that he had considered breaking things off with her. But that had been a year ago and things still hadn't changed.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I don't care what she thinks," he stated bluntly. "Fact of the matter is that she's living off my pocket and she doesn't have to do a thing."

Kiba poked him in the ribs with his elbow. "Sure she does, she has to sleep with you."

"Do you want me to get you your coffee or should I just bash your face in right now?"

"Geez, touchy," Kiba said. "And I'll get the coffee, thank you very much." This prompted him to turn to the coffee cart and look at the girl behind the register. Colour flared in his face immediately. "Hey, Ino."

"Hey!" Ino replied. She was a girl with blue eyes and blonde hair, quite usual in Naruto's opinion. He supposed she was pretty enough for Kiba, though. "What can I do you for?"

"Can I get one black coffee and one double espresso?" Kiba asked in his most suck-uppy voice.

"Not a problem!" Ino said, getting to work. Two minutes of waiting rewarded them with two cups of steaming hot coffee. They sat down on the stairs that led to front door of the Museum. Naruto kept his cup clasped between his hands, looking out over the sea of people that was now beginning to form. In an hour the street would be packed.

"Was I smooth over there or not?" Kiba asked, his eyes rolling from Naruto to Ino and back again.

"Smooth as a baby's ass," Naruto answered, not turning to look at Kiba. He preferred staring at the row of buildings on the other side of the street. Right in the middle was an abandoned warehouse, three stories high and made mostly out of wood. It was flanked by an optometrist and a fast food restaurant. In the early morning light they looked vibrant standing next to the constructional mess of the warehouse.

Not really thinking about it, Naruto slipped his phone out of his pocket. He made sure that Kiba did not notice him snapping a photo, instead pretending to be scrolling through his messages.

"Eh, laugh all you want,' Kiba said, not phased by Naruto's sarcasm. "I'll get her to go out with me someday, just you watch."

Naruto felt a retort bubble up, but he stopped himself when he heard a voice calling from behind.

The voice belonged to Choji, one of the Museum's security guards. Choji was another one of Naruto's old friends, though Naruto had felt no pressure to keep in contact. This particular encounter resulted in a conversation that lasted little more than five minutes, but thanks to Kiba's constant badgering Naruto ended up taking a group photo of the three of them, promising Kiba and Choji both that he would upload it to social media.

At this point Naruto felt it would be wise to go home. His roommate would probably be up by now and she would raise hell if he stayed out too long. Kiba decided to linger around the Museum entrance a little longer, both to catch up with Choji as well as study Ino from the corner of his eye. Naruto bade them goodbye and made his way back home. On to another boring day of sitting at home, doing nothing. Oh joy.

Good thing there was still such a thing as a 'guy's night out'.

* * *

That raging bitch had the ears of a bloodhound. Naruto was running up the three flights of stairs that led to his apartment when she called for him. Her voice carried all the way from her office. Naruto groaned and ran back down, stepping into the working room of the woman that he hated with all his heart.

Tsunade was sitting behind her desk, her feet kicked up and a cigarette sending curls of smoke towards the ceiling. Her eyebrows were lowered into her trademark frown, something that couldn't mean anything good.

"Yes?" Naruto asked, leaning against the doorframe. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and tried his hardest to make sure that his body language was neutral; the last thing he needed right now was a pissed off landlord.

"Don't you 'yes' me, boy," Tsunade barked. "You're lucky that you can pay your bills on time, Uzumaki. If not I'd have thrown you out months ago. Now, can I expect you to talk to me with some respect or do I need to close off your water and electricity for a week?"

Naruto bit down on his tongue. "Yes ma'am."

"Good. Now tell me this. What in the name of everything that is good and holy are you doing at night? I've got that old bastard Sarutobi complaining my ears off. Says that you and that girl of yours keep him awake with your screaming every night."

"Sarutobi is as senile as they come," Naruto answered. "Isn't he just having war flashbacks?"

Tsunade grinded out her cigarette beneath her red pump, dropping the butt to the carpet without regarding it further. "Perhaps," she said, catching Naruto off guard by being agreeable for a change. "But that doesn't mean that you have to go and test his hearing. So consider this a warning: keep your screaming to yourselves. I don't want to know why you are screaming, I honestly don't care. What I do care about are tenants who threaten to move away because some teenage punk has to be loud when he screws his girlfriend, am I clear?"

Naruto wanted to comment on the wild inaccuracy of her statement, but chose against it. Instead he grinded out another "Yes ma'am." This seemed to please Tsunade, at least for the time being, and he was dismissed.

He was still irritated when he let himself into his own apartment. What didn't help was the loud braying of the television set that he could hear even from down the hall. Of course she was up; she wouldn't miss her morning program for the world.

She turned to look at him when he walked into the living room. Her nose scrunched up at the sight of his tracksuit and for a moment he thought that she would comment on it, as she often did. She must've felt in a generous mood today, because she kept silent.

Naruto walked past her, bending down for a moment to kiss her on top of her bright pink hair. She made no move to acknowledge him and kept staring at the television, sitting in the lotus position with a pillow on her lap. Sakura hated interrupting her shows for anything nonsensical.

As soon as the commercial break began she turned her attention to him. "Where've you been?"

Naruto gestured at his tracksuit. "I was out for a run with Kiba."

"Right. You were probably just eyeballing that coffee girl that he likes so much."

He sighed. "How often do I need to tell you not to worry about any of that?"

She shrugged. "Well can you blame me? You were supposed to have found a job six months ago already and look at you now."

"Don't start with me," Naruto said. "I'm not in the mood to explain this crap to you _again_ , not today."

Sakura gave him an annoyed look and pulled her plate with biscuits and cheese towards her. She began to chew with more force than was needed. "You always say that," she remarked. "It's never today, always tomorrow. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

"Hungry?"

"Ha ha, very funny. Has it ever crossed your mind that Tsunade could increase the rent at any time?"

"Well if it bothers you so much, why don't you get a job?" Naruto proposed. "All you do is sit around the house and eat the food that I pay for, so maybe you should give working a try."

"...You're impossible."

Naruto clenched his teeth to avoid any stray comments from leaving his lips. This had been the same old song and dance ever since he had gotten his own apartment almost two years ago. It had been the case even before Sakura had come to live with him. It had become such a regular thing that Naruto could read it on her face by now.

He had been planning on dumping the girl for about a year, but he found that he had absolutely no spine when it came to romantic relationships and breaking them off. Besides, it wasn't that Naruto and Sakura's relationship had been nothing but trouble and arguments. They had been a thing for three years and the first two of those had been as happy as they came. Sure, Sakura had to put up with the occasional existential crisis and Naruto was forced to deal with her ideal image of him, but they had worked well together despite the odds. All of that bliss was gone now. At times Naruto wondered where it had gone wrong, but the truth to that question was very, very harsh.

To break it down to its essentials: Sakura had been there for him right about the time that every teenage boy starts thinking with his dick instead of his head. Was that a mean thing to think about her in retrospect? Yes, but either way it was the truth.

They had discussed breaking up at some point, though it had never led to anything conclusive. Right now they were still the sad orphan boy and the girl with the string of bad decisions. They would remain so for a while longer, Naruto was convinced of that.

He could predict the rest of the day easily. He and Sakura would sit in silence for a while, maybe even until noon. After that she would warm up to him a little more and he would reciprocate. The afternoon was filled with preparations for dinner and some snuggling on the couch, if time allowed it. If the conditions were right they would do something more than snuggle, but that could still go either way.

And much as he expected, by four o'clock they were lying on the couch, one of his arms wrapped around Sakura and his nose buried in her hair. They were both naked, their clothes strewn about the living room. Even though he couldn't see her face he knew that she was smiling; it was at times like these when her love for him came back alive. To her it was a confirmation that even though they had a lot of differences, they still wanted to be in each other's arms. At the end of the day Sakura would glance over the apartment that they shared, see how close to poverty they actually were, and laugh. Because she had Naruto and Naruto loved her. That was something that money couldn't buy.

There was only one problem.

He didn't love her anymore.

"Naruto," Sakura mumbled into his lower arm. She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow. "Naruto, wake up."

"I'm awake," he muttered against her hair. "Wassup?"

"I'm going to have to get dressed now," she said. "I have to go to my mom's after dinner."

He pulled her in tighter. Despite his loss of affection for her there was no denying that he enjoyed having a female body close to his. "Aw please, stay just a little while longer."

He felt her tickle his arms and she giggled when he shuddered. "I'd like to," she said. "but I can't. You know she's a dragon and I don't want to poke her."

Naruto chuckled. "Fair enough. I won't be home when you get back, though."

"Where will you be?"

"Kakashi's," he answered. "Me and the boys are getting together for a few drinks."

"I don't get why you like to hang around with that old man so much," Sakura told him. "Didn't you ever consider that he might just have a thing for teenage boys?"

This made Naruto laugh. "Maybe for Gaara, yes, but not for me. Besides, Kakashi isn't old. He's only thirty-four."

"Yet all his friends are under twenty," Sakura pointed out. "Ah well, never mind."

She got off the couch and began to dress herself. Naruto watched her as she did, feeling more and more sorry for her the longer he looked at her. One day he would rake up the courage to let her go. And it would destroy her. Not because she was weak, but because she had never seen the depth of the emotional trench that she would fall into. She hadn't experienced that kind of hurt before and Naruto was beyond sorry that he was going to be the one to throw her in it, especially since the fall wouldn't hurt him as much. Sometimes he believed that he was born in the trench.

When she was done putting on her clothes she sank through her knees. "Have fun tonight," she said, pecking him on his lips. "Don't drink too much because I might still be awake when you get back." She added a smile to this and Naruto mirrored it. He even meant it, too.

"And get yourself dressed. Just because you don't have to leave for three more hours doesn't mean that I want to look at your dick when we're eating dinner."

* * *

Like Naruto's, Kakashi's house wasn't anything impressive. It blended into the surrounding block perfectly and that was the intention. Kakashi did not want any curious glances.

Naruto rang the doorbell and only had to wait for about ten seconds before the door opened. There was a man on the other side, his hair a gleaming silver and a scar running across his left eye. The man was Kakashi Hatake, one of Naruto's old teachers. Kakashi had been in charge of physical education, one of the few subjects that Naruto had been good at. Kakashi had tried to get the position of physics teacher for several years, but when Konoha High had turned down his request yet again he had handed in his resignation. After that he had opened a store for used electronics, which he now used to fill his days.

"Naruto, there you are. We've been waiting." Kakashi spoke in an aloof tone of voice, one that betrayed that he did not care for a whole lot. Naruto understood that sentiment very well.

"Kakashi," Naruto said, inclining his head. He stepped into the house and followed the owner to the stairs at the end of the hall. One set went up, the other went down. They headed into the basement together.

"Who's there?" Naruto asked, clasping his hands behind his head. Now that he actually had something to do his spirits had taken a leap up. Kakashi was one of the few people who knew what Naruto was all about, what made him tick. And Kakashi was much the same as him, hence why they had found each other after their respective careers in the educational system had come to an end.

"Gaara and Sai for now," Kakashi replied. "I called Lee and Neji too, but they're hard to get a hold of these days. I think they might want out."

"Tsck," Naruto scoffed. "Let them get out if they want to. As long as they keep quiet there won't be a problem. What about Shikamaru?"

"Out with the missus, though he said he would come here if he could find the time."

Naruto nodded. They were now standing in front of a closed door behind which he would find Gaara and Sai. His face split open with a smile and all of a sudden the real Naruto came to the surface, the one who _did_ see the purpose of his existence, the one who _did_ have something to bring joy to his heart. He threw the door open wide and stepped inside, his voice loud and braying.

"Hey, you bastards!" He yelled. The room he was in was everything that the rest of Kakashi's house was not. Screens were flaring brightly on every wall but for the far one, which instead sported a mural-sized map of Konoha. Desks were lined up, toting state of the art computers. Somewhere between all this mess were cabinets stuffed to the brim with files and reports. A gun rack hung from one of these cabinets, loaded with every sort of handheld gun and pistol imaginable.

Naruto's smile grew wider. He was home.

Gaara raised a hand as a reply. Sai merely nodded. Naruto could only chuckle at this anticlimactic response.

"Sai, what's happening?" Naruto asked, walking over to the pale boy and planting his ass on Sai's desk.

Sai's lips twitched and he made some room for Naruto, rearranging the papers that he had been working on. All of them were headed with the same initials: D.F.

"Not much," Sai answered. "I've been working on some IDs as well as something else that Kakashi asked me to check out. He wanted to see if we could possibly relocate."

Kakashi had been talking about some big move of the company for a while now. The company, of course, being their little group of highly trained criminals. Amongst themselves they were known as the Demon Fox Gang. Their specialities included theft, kidnapping, extortion and murder-for-hire. Why there was any place more suited to plan their missions than here was a mystery to Naruto.

The Demon Fox Gang was very particular about which new members they allowed in. Everyone had their own vices that made them valuable to the Gang. Sai was an absolute genius when it came to forgery. The kid could fake anything from a painting to a signature. Most of his work for the Gang consisted of making fake IDs and forging autographs to allow the Gang anything that the city could hand them like building permits or things of that nature. But every now and again a client would ask the Gang to steal a painting or something stupid like that, and that was when Sai's talents really came into the light.

On the other end of the room was Gaara. He was something special. Though Gaara made him nervous at times, Naruto would consider the redhead his very best friend. He would like it to remain so, because Gaara was absolutely crazy. And no, that was not an overreaction. Gaara was part of a cult known as the Children of the Moon. The Children originated from Suna, the place that Gaara also called his home. They had made the news globally about ten years ago when their members had gone out on simultaneous killing sprees. It was brutal; over three hundred members all around the world took to their weapons one cold November night and had started slaughtering everyone who they came across. The death toll of this horrible tragedy was estimated to be over twenty-two hundred.

At the time Gaara had only been a small child, but at the age of nineteen he was as much of a Moon psychopath as his predecessors. It was because of Gaara that Naruto now had an iron stomach. He had seen that boy kill people in ways that would make your milk curdle. Working with him had blunted Naruto's conscience and he considered that a good thing. It made being a criminal much easier. In this world it was kill or be killed and Naruto had long since gotten over the incredible guilt that killing gave him. He always tried to refrain from it, but sometimes he had no choice.

There was one particular memory that came to mind. Kakashi had recruited Naruto for the Gang about two year ago. He had already worked a few jobs and this time around Kakashi had decided to send him out on a mission with Gaara as his partner. They were to eliminate Mr. Moon, who was arguably the biggest drug trafficker in their part of the country. They had also been told to raid his hideout and take all the money that they could carry. Kakashi had called it tip money.

Gaara had been ecstatic. Both him and Naruto had heard of this Moon character and Gaara had felt a strong desire to slaughter the man just by his choice of name. Gaara had believed that the dealer would prove as a nice sacrifice to the Moon Mother, the deity which the Children of the Moon worshipped. When they had been briefed it was time to get to work.

Naruto's role in the Gang was simple; he was a hit-and-runner. Naruto was very, very fast. Back in his high school days Kakashi had told him that he could have been an Olympian with some effort. In the end it turned out that his talents were best used when running from something or someone. Naruto's missions usually consisted of stealing something and getting the hell out of someplace. And that was what he loved to do; feel his heart throbbing in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins and overriding his ability to think reasonably.

How did this tie in to the Moon mission?

Simply put, Naruto was the fail safe. Should Gaara be caught, it wouldn't be a problem at all. Naruto would be the one to take the money and haul ass, should it come to that. Naruto had practiced free running for years, so he could always scale rooftops or high walls to get away. Unfortunately things did not always pan out the way you planned them.

It had been no hard feat to find this Mr. Moon despite the rumours of how intangible he was. Gaara and Naruto had been able to track him down with ease and sneaking into his hideout had been just as simple. It had just been a matter of knocking on the door, literally.

Moon had hired a guy to act as a doorman. This guy would see to every visitor to make sure that there weren't any rotten apples in the bunch. When Naruto had knocked on the door, the guy had given a quizzical look, caught off guard by this new face. It was the last thing he ever did, because Gaara sliced his throat open before he had been able to speak.

This was Naruto's first brush with death, but far from the last. They had gone into Moon's hideout and they had found three people there. Gaara had killed them all before Naruto could do as much as make a move. Moon was among them. Thinking their mission a success, Naruto and Gaara had gone about raiding the place for every single ryo that they could squeeze out of it.

Yet they had forgotten someone. Just as Naruto was busy tearing up some couch cushions one of Moon's henchmen walked into the hideout, baffled at the sight in front of him. When his brain connected all the dots he fumbled for the gun behind his belt. Gaara hadn't noticed the man until that point and was too far away to get to him. Naruto could only do one thing and that was fight.

Everything that happened from then on was blurry. He remembered charging the guy and wrestling him to the ground. He could also recall Gaara lagging back with his arms crossed in front of his chest. His partner probably thought that this was something that Naruto should do by himself. He couldn't remember much of the struggle that had ensued, but it had ended with Naruto sliding his pocket knife into the flesh just below the guy's adam's apple.

And thus he had taken his first life.

The memory at an end, Naruto turned his attention back to the world of the living. Kakashi was looking at him with a semi-curious expression. Gaara and Sai were still doing whatever it was that they had been doing.

"Kakashi," Naruto said. "What's the news?"

"I was wondering when you would ask," Kakashi replied, smiling. "If you have what I asked you to bring I can show you right now."

"Right." Naruto fumbled for his phone. Kakashi motioned for Sai and Gaara to pay attention; they would have to be up to speed as well.

"What are we doing this time, Kakashi?" Gaara asked. His eyes were serious and the effect of this was amplified by the tattoo on his forehead, which spelled the word 'love' in kanji.

"A little bit of everything," Kakashi answered. "Have you ever heard of the Dagger of Five Winds?"

"So we're stealing something," Sai concluded. "Are you gonna need any of my help?"

"Sure am," Kakashi said. "But let me get to that in a minute. Naruto, if you will."

Naruto connected his phone to the largest screen in the room. The first thing he did was look up a photo of the Dagger with his search engine. "This is the Dagger of Five Winds. It's currently stored in Konoha's Museum of Natural History. It's worth money, and big time at that. Think seven million ryo."

A collective silence fell, everyone soaking in this piece of information.

"Now we don't know very much about the building yet, other than that it's the best protected building within a radius of a hundred miles. That means that stealing the Dagger will be a bit of a problem."

Naruto went to his gallery and selected the most recent photo that he took. It turned out to come in handy after all. "What we do know now is what kind of security system is used throughout. It's a PX-100S, and if I look at Kakashi now I'm sure that he'll tell me that it's top of the line." He zoomed in on the group photo of him, Kiba and Choji, enlarging the sticker on the front door behind them.

"You would be correct to assume that," Kakashi said.

"Okay. So all we have for now it that there is an expensive knife that we're going to steal and that it's protected by the best security money can buy. So now we need you, Sai. Kakashi, care to inform him?"

"By all means." Kakashi pulled a sheet of paper from one of the cabinets. "I need you to get me the following. Two press passes, two fake IDs, and a permit to view the floorplans of the building."

Sai nodded then asked "Why?"

"We're not allowed to take photo's without a press pass," Kakashi explained. "In case someone asks for more, we'll need a fake ID. And while we are busy 'reporting' we will notice a few cracks in the foundation of the building. Luckily for the board of directors we have a few friends who can help them out with that for a small price."

"Am I that friend?" Sai inquired.

"Indeed you are."

"Okay, so we're stealing something. So what can I do?" Gaara asked, looking bored.

Naruto smiled. "Don't worry, I've got something for you. Shikamaru will lay down a plan from start to finish, but I think we can safely assume that we're going to need a distraction. Even if we pull of the heist without fail it won't be any good if every cop in the town is out looking for us ten minutes after."

He swiped away from the first photo, instead showing the one of the warehouse that he had snapped during his morning run.

"This old warehouse is right across the street from the Museum. Gaara, do you see how old it is? Sure. old wood looks pretty, but do you know what it also does?"

Gaara's face split open in a raging grin. "It burns."

"Yes," Naruto said, returning the smile. "It burns."

* * *

It was past one in the morning by the time that Naruto left Kakashi's basement and went back to his own apartment. The excitement of the evening hadn't yet worn off and he was full of energy, so he decided to go on an additional run. His mind wasn't anywhere particular as he jogged, heading into Konoha Park. It wasn't of any use to put too much time and effort into the mission; there was nothing he could do until Sai was done with the press passes and IDs.

Konoha Park was empty and that relieved him. The path was illuminated by the weak light of the lamps overhead, just strong enough for him to make out his dirty sneakers. The park's pond was gleaming in the distance.

Slowly his thoughts began to reassemble and it was Sakura he thought of. As the pond drew in closer he saw her face in his mind's eye, that disapproving look etched into her features. That guilt was gnawing at him again and now it made him laugh; he did not feel guilty for stabbing a nameless man in the throat, but keeping his girlfriend on an imaginary leash was enough to make his stomach churn.

He really did have to break things off with her. Tomorrow he would see how she responded to his normal behaviour. If she was having one of her good days he would consider ending it all tomorrow. If not he could wait another day. Another year if he had to.

He walked past the pond and he was about to leave it behind him, but something caught his eye. There was a girl lying on a bench by the water. She appeared to be sleeping. Her feet were bare save for the socks that she was wearing.

Naruto felt his curiosity get the better of him and walked over to her. She had her knees drawn up to her chest and her dark blue hair shielded her face from view. For a second Naruto thought she was dead, but when she exhaled a plume of condensation trailed from her lips. Naruto breathed in relief. Making up his mind he went to her, shaking her by the shoulder.

The girl stirred for a second and then opened her eyes. Immediately she shot up. "Huh, where, how, what.."

Naruto gripped her shoulder firmly and sought out her eyes. He had meant to speak then, but silence befell him once he caught a glimpse of her eyes. They were of such a pale lavender that they were almost white. They were entrancing.

"W-Who are you?" the girl asked timidly.

Naruto shook himself out of his stupor. "I could ask you the same, but it doesn't really matter, I suppose. Why are you lying here in the middle of the night?"

The girl blinked a few times, then opened her eyes wide. "O-oh my god, I didn't..."

"You didn't what?"

The girl looked at him. "I went to the park halfway through the night. My father likes to keep me at home as much as he can and sometimes I hate it. I just wanted to get out of the house for a while so I pulled on my slippers and came here. I thought I would go back as soon as it started getting cold, but I must've fallen asleep."

"Slippers?" Naruto asked, picking that specific detail. "I don't see any slippers."

Her eyes grew even wider still. "Oh no, did someone take them? I-I..."

But Naruto had sat himself down at the foot of the bench and was now fumbling with his shoelaces.

"What are you doing?" the girl asked.

"I can't have such a pretty girl going home barefoot in this cold. You'd just end up getting sick."

He looked up at her and even though she appeared to say nothing, he thought he could read the word 'pretty' on her stunned lips.

Naruto took his sneakers off and handed them to the girl. She looked at him doubtfully, but after some pushing on his end she took them and slid them over her own feet.

"I-I don't know what to do now," she said.

"You go home," Naruto answered. "And quick. The night will only get colder, and you're not exactly dressed for the weather." He gestured to the thin white kimono that she was wearing.

"R-right," the girl said, getting to her feet. "Well, t-thank you very much. I have to go now..." she graced him with a little wave of her elegant hands and walked away.

Naruto walked home on his socks that night. No matter. He still had another pair of sneakers in the closet. And soon enough he would be able to buy all the shoes in the world, so screw the concept of footwear for the time being.

 _Yes_ , he thought. _As soon as we get that Dagger, I'll buy a thousand pairs of shoes. And I'll buy you two, mystery girl._


	2. Prayers for mother

**Hey, chapter 2 here!**

 **Please read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

Sakura didn't ask him what happened to his shoes the next day, nor the during the week that followed. If Naruto asked her why she would've said that she didn't have the time; for once she was running around the apartment, cleaning everything left and right. Her mother was coming over. Oh joy.

Naruto hadn't seen or talked to Mebuki Haruno for quite some time now. Sakura usually briefed him after one of her visits and that was more than enough for him. Mebuki didn't like him and the feeling was mutual. She thought that he was a lazy, good-for-nothing bastard and he thought that she was a conniving banshee from the deepest circles of hell. Sakura tried her best to keep any meeting between the two of them peaceful, but neither party could refrain from at least making snide remarks. And that was something Mebuki excelled at.

The announcement that she would be coming over for dinner had startled the life out of Sakura. Her mother hadn't been to the apartment even once and she could already imagine Mebuki stepping inside, her brow furrowed to express her disgust. Why would her dear daughter live here in this shabby two room kitchen cabinet while she had a perfectly good home to return to?

It had lit a fire under Sakura's ass though, something which Naruto felt she very much needed. Up until now most of what she did consisted of telling him what to do. He had about given up on getting her to contribute to the household, but now that the witch was coming everything suddenly smelled lemon fresh, and nary a crumb to be found between the couch cushions.

And strangest of all: Sakura was happy. The day after Naruto had given his shoes to the strange girl in Konoha Park he had found his girlfriend up early, the bathroom already cleaned and the scents of breakfast drifting from the kitchen. Caught off guard by this change in his routine, Naruto had taken the news rather well. Although he couldn't quite tell why she would be pleased that her mother was coming to criticize every aspect of her life.

"I just want to rub her nose in it," Sakura had said, sliding three more sausages onto his plate. "We might not have much but at least we have something."

"Just yesterday you were worrying about Tsunade, though."

She had rolled her eyes at him, and then a smile had parted her lips. "Honey, if I had to live in a cardboard box, I would. It's okay as long as I'm with you."

That had killed most of his appetite. Thoughts of the day before had filled his head, images of Sakura crying as he told her that he just couldn't anymore, that it wasn't her but him, and all that bullshit that happens in the movies. Were they characters in a film she would get mad at him, and in the private theater in his head that was the most profitable outcome, but it was also just fantasy. If he broke it off with her she wouldn't get angry. She would only cry and _that_ he couldn't handle.

He had looked at her back over his half-empty plate, noting the happy little skip in her step and the smile that he knew wouldn't falter as long as he kept his mouth shut. Still, his tongue was sometimes like a bullwhip, apt to lash out times when even he didn't expect it to.

"You know," he had said, poking a chunk of sausage onto his fork. "I've got something that you can rub her nose into."

Her eyebrows had formed into curious arches. "Do tell."

"I talked to Kakashi yesterday and asked him how the store was going. Says he's just about to fire every employee he's got because they keep screwing up on the job. One of his door-to-door guys turned the company car into a pile of screws. So I asked him if he could use any help, and he said yes."

Sakura's eyes had gone wide. A grin had formed on her lips. Naruto had sighed. Great, now she was really looking forward to her mother coming.

A week went by in a flash. Much sooner than he liked, Naruto found himself seated by his secondhand dining table, Sakura by his side and Mebuki glaring at him between bites of food. Mebuki had not said much about their living arrangements and for that Naruto was glad. He was hoping to keep the night relaxed and easygoing as well, though for now things could go either way.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Sakura broke the silence, laying her fork aside and turning to her mother for good measure. "Naruto got himself a job starting tomorrow."

Mizuki did not seem impressed. "Oh, is that right?"

Naruto grunted in affirmation and continued eating. He would try his hardest to stay out of this one.

"Uh-huh," Sakura said. Naruto could hear the smile in her voice. "One of his friends, Kakashi, hired him to work in his store."

"Well isn't that fantastic."

"You don't make it sound convincing, Ma." Naruto always used the word to annoy Mebuki, knowing full well that he was the last person who was ever allowed to call her mother.

"So I should just be happy that my daughter is living in this shack of a home, hardly fed and unable to pay rent?"

Naruto rose from his chair and knocked into the dining table, sending the wine glasses that Sakura had polished to a gleam to crash down on the floor. He felt a bout of curses rising in his throat, but at the last second he was able to stop himself. All he did was glare at Mebuki in the hope that she would catch fire.

"Now you listen here, Naruto," Mebuki said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I have no idea what my daughter sees in you, but for some reason she keeps crawling back, no matter what I say to her. But let me be clear: I will be watching. And if I see that you fail to give my Sakura the care she deserves, I will make it my business. Am I clear?"

Naruto did not answer her.

"Mom, please," Sakura pleaded, stepping up to stand between them. "There's no need to be so concerned. We'll be fine. We're happy together."

 _Oh, Sakura_ , Naruto thought. _If only that was true_.

* * *

Hatake Hard Drives and Computers was located on the very fringes of Konoha, in one of the smaller shopping districts where boarded windows and "FOR SALE" signs were an everyday sight. The view was much the same as in Naruto's neighbourhood, so he paid it little mind as he incorporated his morning jog into his new routine, one that consisted of him showing up for work five days a week.

Kakashi's business was going well despite the odds. Perhaps the Demon Fox Gang had something to do with that, but Naruto was sure that Kakashi would never sell anything that they had stolen, nor would he pay his bills with his earnings below the radar. He just wasn't that stupid. What wouldn't surprise Naruto, however, was finding out that he used his shop as a money laundering machine.

HHDC was nested between an empty storefront and a gym with an escalator, which was so ironic that Naruto walked into his first day of work breathless from laughter. Kakashi was already standing behind the counter with his chin in the palms of his hands. He looked bored.

"Oi, Kakashi," Naruto said, walking over. Both of them were wearing the official HHDC shirt with the store's abbreviated name spelled across the back. The colour palate was pleasing; most of the shirt was orange and that reminded Naruto of his beloved tracksuit.

"Naruto," Kakashi acknowledged him. "Excited for your first day?" He poured a cup of coffee from the thermos by his elbow and shoved it in Naruto's direction.

"Guess so," Naruto replied. He looked around to see if there were any other employees to overhear him. "But to be honest I'd much rather be running away from the Museum guards right now."

"Later," Kakashi said. "For now we just have to act like normal people with normal jobs, living in a normal world."

"And how do we do that?"

"You can start by stickering the DVDs," Kakashi said, and upon seeing Naruto's look of curiosity he added "And yes, all of them. We're starting a three for ten ryo sale today and I'm expecting it to do pretty well."

"You must be delusional. No one buys DVDs anymore."

"You'd be surprised how much porn I sell."

"I don't think I would."

Kakashi sighed. "Just get to work, you smartass."

As the morning progressed and Naruto's hands became increasingly stickier with every DVD that passed through them, business began to flourish. Even before any of his colleagues had arrived Naruto had assisted several customers.

His co-workers for the day didn't arrive until noon. There were three of them, all young and zit-faced and sluggish. They were two boys and a girl and two-thirds of them were pretty nondescript. One, however, stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, new guy," the kid called. "What's your name?" He placed his elbows on the counter as if he owned it, a dumb grin contorting his lips. Brown hair shot up in strands from underneath a thick pair of strap-on goggles.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto replied. He pulled a cookie from the pile by the thermos and unwrapped it, chewing it down with care and noting, with some amusement, that the boy did not like being ignored.

"Aren't you going to ask me my name?" the kid asked, huffing.

"I have a feeling that you're going to tell me anyway."

"My name is Konohamaru." He jotted a thumb a his chest to show his pride. "Grandson of Hiruzen Sarutobi, mayor of Konoha and trusted advisor of the King of the Land of Fire."

A laden silence settled over the store then. Konohamaru's friends stood by and observed. Perhaps this was the first time that someone didn't fawn over his heritage and they were curious to see how that would pan out. Kakashi was leaning against the doorframe behind the counter which would lead to the office. His brown eyes were half-lidden, betraying his boredom.

"Hmmm." was the only reply that Naruto gave him.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"What else do you want me to say?" Naruto asked, crumbling the cookie wrapper into his fist. "Do you want me to tell you that I will worship the ground that you walk on? Do I need to kiss your little toes before they enter a room? Do I need to wipe your ass for you so you won't get shit on your fingers?"

Konohamaru seemed to be taken aback by this sudden outburst. Naruto looked at him with squinting eyes. This boy wasn't hard to decipher. Born into a succesful and wealthy family, he believed that the world was his and his alone, ready to give in to whatever desire he might have. He was completely oblivious as to how the world actually worked. Naruto wouldn't mind teaching him.

"N-No, what?" Konohamaru said. "It's just that-"

"It's just that you're used to everybody kissing your ass because your parents have some money and your grandfather has a famous face. I get it. You don't have to explain these things to me, Konohamaru, I'm not stupid."

"I never called you stupid."

"Then what's with the tone?"

"I, I..."

"Okay, okay, listen," Naruto said. The other boy and the girl leaned in close, hoping to see Konohamaru take a reaming, or at least be put in his place. Chances were that they thought he was too big for his britches as well. "You have no idea how lucky you are to have the life you have. You probably grew up and had breakfast every day, dinner every night and a hundred presents for Christmas each year, right?"

Konohamaru said nothing.

"Just as I thought. Well let me make it clear to you; not everyone is as privileged as you are. I grew up in an orphanage and I was lucky if I got food even once a day. I didn't get any presents for Christmas, or my birthday. If I didn't get the living hell beat out of me before noon I called it a good day. The first time I actually had some money was two years ago. Meanwhile you don't even know the value of it.

But I can teach you something about that if you want. I guess your parents forced you to get this job to learn the value of money and hard work, but it doesn't look like it's having a lot of effect. Maybe you should come to my place sometime. I can show you around all two of the rooms that I own. You can even stay for dinner. I'll make us a nice peanut butter sandwich with some tapwater at the side. You interested?"

The boy held his silence.

"Or would you rather have caviar?"

"I didn't mean t-"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto said. "You didn't mean to offend me, you didn't want to rub anything in. Good for you. But just take it as a lesson: Not everybody is waiting to kiss your ass until it shines like a diamond. You got that?"

"Y-Yes sir."

"Good. Now go clean the toilets and do it well. If I see skidmarks when I go in there I'll make you lick them out."

Konohamaru's eyes wandered behind Naruto, finding Kakashi's. The little bugger was probably hoping that the man would tell him that Naruto did not have that kind of authority, but he was sorely mistaken. Grumbling, he went about the task assigned to him.

Two more hours passed until Kakashi beckoned Naruto over to him. "It's time to go," he said, peering into the store to check if they weren't being listened in on. He then called for the other employees present. "Moegi!"

The girl shot up from whatever work she had been doing. "Yes, Kakashi?"

"Naruto here has just been assigned his first out-call and I want to go with him to show him the ropes. Can I trust you to take care of the store while we're gone?"

Moegi gave a sharp nod, her eyes sparkling with what Naruto interpreted as gratitude. Not strange, considering that Konohamaru was an ever present shadow hanging over her and all of her achievements.

"Okay, and Udon, you're second in command." The second boy, his face mostly covered by thick spectacles, nodded also.

"Alright, Naruto, I guess we are good to go. Follow me."

* * *

Kakashi hadn't yet bought a new company car and that was a good thing. the out-call he had been talking about was nothing more than a front for their true intentions. Kakashi parked his red, nondescript vehicle two blocks away from Konoha's Museum of Natural History and shut it off.

"There," he said, looking around the street. "I might have to get rid of this baby once we're done." He said this with a melancholic sigh, as if he were sad that this bucket of bolts would soon retire.

"So what're we going to do?" Naruto asked. His mood had been tempered for most of the day, but now that he was once again investing his time in the Demon Fox Gang he could feel his excitement grow.

"We're going to pose as members of the press and we want to write an article on the Museum and it's current exhibits. We'll take photos of whatever we can to prepare ourselves for when we make our actual move. Also, if possible, we'll want to tip the higher-ups that the building needs some repairs." Kakashi pulled a bag from the backseat and rummaged through it to pull out a stack of papers and two cameras. He handed half of the stack to Naruto.

The papers consisted of a press pass and a fake ID, not to mention a driver's lisence and insurance info. Sai had really outdone himself. With these they would be able to walk around the Museum without anyone bothering them. They had changed their working clothes for something more casual, though Kakashi had forbidden him to wear his tracksuit.

"Remember," Kakashi said. "We're taking photos and we're asking some questions. After that we get out. Don't do anything reckless."

Naruto couldn't help but smirk. "You know I never do."

They stepped out of the car and walked the two blocks down to the Museum. Kakashi did not enjoy the silence, it seemed.

"What was that with you and Konohamaru?" he asked. His tone of voice didn't betray his curiosity, but Naruto knew better.

"Why, you have a soft spot for the kid?" Naruto asked, then waved the question away. "Never mind. I just thought that he needed to be put in his place. I mean you saw the way he carried himself, right? Like the world is not good enough for him?"

"He tends to do that, yes."

"Well I won't have it. That kid has no idea what life is actually like. Everything is handed to him on a silver platter and he expected everyone to be fine with that. Well not me."

Kakashi sighed and stuffed a hand into his pocket. "Maybe you're right. Beware though, Sarutobi may be a good mayor for this city, but he has a special place in his heart for his grandson. Like it or not, but Konohamaru has political ties all over town."

Naruto smirked. "And you never thought to recruit him for the Gang?"

"Of course I have, but I immediately realized how stupid that would be. If anyone can get the info to the right sources, it's that boy."

"Eh, I guess you're right. But just to let you know, I refuse to have him order me around at work."

'That's why you're his superior."

They rounded the corner and the Yamanaka coffee cart came into view. Kakashi was focused on other matters, though.

"That's the warehouse?" he asked.

Naruto followed his gaze and gave a confirming grunt. If all went well Gaara would set it alight in the days to come. Then his own eyes went to the front of the Museum. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noted Choji's absence. At least that meant that he didn't have to lie to cover up his lies.

Once inside they were immediately greeted by a young girl with pretty blonde hair. She offered them a tour around the premises, but they declined after showing her their press passes. The girl was curious as to what they would be writing about and Kakashi told her that they were hoping to push an article about the many different facets of history that the Museum delved into. The girl replied that this seemed fascinating to her and that she would be keeping an eye out on the newspaper. They thanked her for her time and they beelined through the halls, scouring for their target.

The Dagger of Five Winds was located in the middle of the building. It had a room all to itself, bar the few paintings that hung along the wall on rusty nails. Naruto took a good look around him, not even using his camera; Kakashi would snap all the photos they needed to pull of their heist.

The room was large and spacious. The case that held the Dagger stood in the middle and it was kept away from curious hands by thick, velvety, red rope. There were no windows for Naruto to jump out of once he made his attempt to steal it, so that meant that he had to run quite a while to get out of the building. There were airducts above them, but Naruto assumed that they would provide the way in, not the way out. Escaping the Museum could prove to be a chore.

"Look." Kakashi pointed at the glass case. The Dagger was inside. It was ancient; the steel blade was crumbling with rust and the leather that had been wrapped around the handle was greased and falling apart. The only thing that made the Dagger remarkable, apart from it's historical and economical value, was the large ruby in the butt cap.

That wasn't what Kakashi wanted Naruto to see, though. What was important here was the case it was in. Inside, on the top left and the far back of the case was what appeared to be a steel square meant to keep the case together. That wasn't its purpose; it was actually the trigger plate that would set off the alarm if anyone tried to steal the Dagger.

"It looks like it ties in with the system used throughout the Museum," Kakashi whispered to him. "I don't see any additional precautions, so that probably means that they will be relying on security guards throughout the night."

"That's positive," Naruto reasoned. "I can outrun guards any day of the week. If we can shut off the system I can probably get out without anyone noticing it. They won't know the Dagger is gone until someone gets fired for it the next day."

"Leave that bit to me," Kakashi said. "I'll let Asuma know when we make the hit so he can keep Konoha's Police Department at bay. He'll make sure that everyone he can spare is busy fighting the fire that Gaara's going to start."

Asuma Sarutobi was a very valuable asset to the Demon Fox Gang. He was the top dog of the Konoha Police Department and he kept the Gang briefed on everything related to them. It was Asuma's job to keep the police of the Demon Fox Gang's tail, or otherwise steer the investigation in the wrong direction. And Naruto may hve joked about recruiting Konohamaru, but truth of the matter was that it wasn't necessary. Asuma was Konohamaru's uncle, so the political ties were already there.

Turning his attention back to the Dagger Naruto saw something that made him nudge Kakashi with his elbow. When the man inquired what was wrong, Naruto pointed at the plaque in front of the case. The following had been printed on it:

 _The Dagger of Five Winds is an ancient weapon found at an archeological site thirty miles away from Konoha. The Dagger was uncovered in a cave that is believed to be an old refuge for the Neanderthals, judging from the bones found and the paintings that had been inscribed onto the wall. Curious is that the Neanderthals did not have the resources nor the knowledge to craft a weapon as intricate as the Dagger, yet no signs are to be found of who_ is _responsible for the Dagger's existence. The Dagger is believed to be over fifteen hundred years old and is valuable solely for its historical significance._

And below that:

 _The Dagger of Five Winds will be moved to an undisclosed location as of the seventeenth of September._

Kakashi cursed under his breath. "That's tomorrow," he said. "There is no way that we can take it before that."

Naruto thought deep and hard, something that wasn't always his strong suit, and got an idea.

"Kakashi, if you could get into the system to shut down the alarms, couldn't you find out where the Dagger is being moved to?"

"Of course I can," Kakashi replied. "The problem is that we have to start from scratch."

"Don't worry about that," Naruto said. "Once we bring this baby home you won't even remember how much work it cost."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and stuffed his hand back into his pocket. "I guess you're right. That does mean that activity is going to be low for a little while."

Naruto grinned and pulled out his lower lip into a childish pout. "Aw, c'mon Kakashi, can't you do it today? I want to have something to do. I'm bored."

"I know you are," Kakashi sighed. "And fine. I'll look up where the Dagger is going today, but I expect your full cooperation in doing so. And I want you to be serious about your work in the store. Chances are that you won't be working for me very soon anyway, so you might as well make the best of it."

"Do I still get to boss around Konohamaru and those other two brats?"

"You may."

Naruto smiled. "Excellent."

* * *

"Are you getting anywhere with this?"

"If you stay quiet, I just might."

"Oops, sorry. Try harder."

"Do I need to set Gaara loose on you?"

"As if that'd work. That boy loves me dearly."

Kakashi sent a mocking glare Naruto's way, then relented. "Unfortunately that's the truth."

They were in the office at Hatake's Hard Drives and Computers. Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon had already left, Naruto lagging behind with claims that he would be helping Kakashi do the bookkeeping. As soon as the youngsters had left Kakashi set about hacking the Museum's database. He was moving along without any problems thusfar, but that was to be expected. It wasn't without reason that Kakashi had opened an electronics store. The man had a gift. Naruto suspected that Kakashi would be able to hack the security system to the King's palace with nothing but a calculator.

Kakashi gave a cry of triumph, causing Naruto to almost drop the radio he had been holding. Kakashi had helped him kill time by starting to teach him the basics of electronics. If Naruto stayed to work with him for a year, he had said, he'd be able to fix anything from a radio to revolving door.

"Are you in?" Naruto asked, looking over Kakashi's shoulder.

"Oh yes," Kakashi said, smiling. He cracked his knuckles in a cliché fashion before pounding into his keyboard, searcing for any information that might tell them more about where the Dagger might be relocated to. After about two minutes of this he gave another cry, this one even more pleased than the last.

"Where's the Dagger going?" Naruto asked. He expected to hear that a Museum in another country had bought the thing, but this was not the case.

"The Dagger was bought by Hiashi Hyuuga."

"Hyuuga?" Naruto asked, stupified. "That's Neji's last name. Are they by any chance related?"

"I have no idea."

"Let me check," Naruto said. A quick use of the search engine on his phone provided him with basic information about Hiashi, as well as a photo. "Hiashi Hyuuga is the owner of the international conglomerate responsible for supplying the majority of the world's hospitals with medical supplies. Hyuuga's other activities include philantrophy and afternoon golf."

He showed Kakashi the photo of the man they now had to rob.

"This..." Kakashi breathed. "This _must_ be family of Neji's. The resemblance is too great to ingore."

"Thought so." Naruto zoomed in on the man's face. "That must be why Neji wants out. You told him about the Dagger a few weeks ago, didn't you?"

"I did," Kakashi confirmed. "I was so proud of fixing my own assignment that I couldn't help but share."

"And Neji probably knew that Hiashi was buying the Dagger. If we found out it would mean that we could end up blowing his cover."

"That, or Neji is feeling sudden guilt."

"I doubt that."

"Me too," Kakashi agreed.

Naruto took another look at the photo and suddenly a light went on in his head. Without further ado he searched the internet to find out of Hiashi had any children. Two names came up, Hinata and Hanabi. Both of the named were headed with a recent photo of the two girls.

Hinata's face was unmistakeable.

immediately his mind filled with questions. For startes, why hadn't he seen the girl's resemblance to someone who he worked with on a regular basis? Granted, Neji's eyes were far more demanding than hers. and the violet in them was more prominent, but still. Perhaps it was just because it never mattered to Naruto until now. Secondly he wanted to find out why Hinata found in necessary to sneak out of her house. She had told him that her father worried about her a lot, so maybe Hiashi kept her near him at all times to prevent her from becoming a target. Hiashi Hyuuga was rich. And people did the most horrible things for money, whether that was murder, rape, extortion. Kidnapping a young woman was child's play in comparison.

"I know this girl," Naruto said. He showed Kakashi the picture on his phone.

"Hiashi's daughter?" Kakashi asked, his eyebrows rising. "How did you get to meet her?"

"I happened to come across her in Konoha Park. She said she fell asleep on a park bench and that her father would be worried if she didn't get home soon."

Kakashi gave this information some thought. He grabbed Naruto's phone without warning, searching for further photo's of Hinata. After some time he motioned for Naruto to look at something.

"See this?" he said, pointing at a photo of Hinata in a salmon-coloured evening gown. "Notice the man behind her?"

Naruto did. It was a guy in suit and tie with round shades covering up his eyes. Kakashi swiped through some more photos and pointed the same guy out in every one of them.

"There is no doubt in my mind that this is Hinata's bodyguard." Kakashi locked Naruto's phone and gave it back to him. "We might have an opportunity here."

"Please explain," Naruto said, not getting any of it.

"Well, what if this bodyguard of hers happens to be taken out of commission?"

"She'd need a new one."

"Precisely. And this bodyguard would have to be inside her house when she is, right?"

"I guess so."

"So what are we going to do?"

Naruto finally got the gist of it. "Kill the bodyguard and replace him with one of our own guys?"

"Bingo."

"But who do we use? We can use Gaara for the killing, obviously, but who is capable enough to pull this off?"

The way Kakashi looked at him was enough of an answer.

"Oh, no way," Naruto said. "Not doing it. Nu-uh."

Kakashi went into tactical warfare straight away. "Just think of what Sakura would say."

Part of him wanted to tell Kakashi that pleasing Sakura wasn't his job, but that could backfire in multiple ways. Besides, despite the growing distance between him and the girl, seeing her smile still made _him_ smile. Love was hard to kill, even in its absence.

"Besides," Kakashi went on. "You said you already met her anyway, so chances are that she'll want to be protected by a familiar face."

"I only met her once, though."

"And did anything happen then to have you stand out to her?"

"Well," Naruto said, scratching the back of his head and grinning like a moron. "I did give her my shoes."

"I don't even want to know what that means."

"It means exactly what I said."

"...Right. Anyway, sending you is easily our best move. Hinata knows you, so she will likely be drawn to you. Perhaps she feels she owes you something because of the shoes. And it also puts pressure on Neji to hire you, because you have the means to expose him for who he really is."

Naruto mulled this over and concluded his train of thoughts with a nod. "I guess you're right."

"That is usually the case."

"Shut up." Naruto crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Now how about you get to work so I can get to work."

"Yes Mother."

"I thought I told you to shut it."

* * *

Hinata Hyuuga lived in a giant mansion just a mile outside the centre of the city. Naruto eyed the building from a nearby rooftop. Gaara stood next to him, dressed in as much black as he himself was. It was a little annoying; unfortunately orange wasn't a colour that helped with being inconspicuous.

Gaara was excited and that was anything but surprising. "Come on, Naruto!" he cried. "Let's go now! The Mother of the Moon wants to see blood!"

As serious as Gaara's murderous intent was, it made Naruto laugh. Twisted as it may be, this was their usual set up and in Naruto's mind it registered as just another day at the office. Yes, he was about to kill someone, but he had long since been blunted to the feelings of remorse that came with it.

"Yeah, I suppose there is no sense in waiting any longer," Naruto agreed. he pulled the ski mask over his face to conceal it and jumped down the next roof over. Gaara was right behind him as he ran across the length of the roof, feeling free for the first time in a long while. The night was cold and the air cut at the exposed bridge of his nose, but a smile formed nonetheless. This was what made him feel alive.

This was his destiny.

The Hyuug Mansion was gated but that posed little of a problem. Naruto and Gaara moved towards the side of the building without being spotted. Luck was on their side that night, because they stumbled upon an open window. They granted themselves access to the house and moved without hesitation, looking for the man with the round shades.

Kakashi had done an amazing job at finding out who the guy was. His name was Ebisu and he had been trained to be a bodyguard for the rich and famous. He had been quoted to want to live and die doing his job and he was about to have his wish granted.

Even in the darkness of the night Naruto could see the decorations that were present all over the house. He noted expensive vases and tapestries and paintings. Still, they weren't worth nearly as much as the Dagger.

They cleared the length of the hall they were in and stopped at the corner. The stretch of hallway around it was a deadend, but they had already found who they had been looking for. Two men in suits flanked a purple door on either side. Ebisu was a little in front of them to form a triangle position.

Gaara spoke to him in the lowest of whispers. "You take out Ebisu and I'll get the other two. Do you have the note?"

Naruto tapped his pocket to confirm this. He nodded.

"Great," Gaara said. He pulled something from his own pants, something that jingled. Naruto recognized the sound of coins clacking together.

The guards in the hall heard it too, exactly according to plan. "What's that?" the one on the right side of the door asked.

"I don't know," Left replied. "But I'm not waiting here to find out."

"Leave some for me, though," Ebisu said. "It's been too long since I've broken a bone."

"You guys stay back," Right said. He began to pace forward at a crawl, his hand on his hip where a revolver rested beneath the layers of clothing.

Gaara took one of the coins and threw it at a vase along the length of the hall. It shattered into a million pieces and acted as an incentive for Right to turn around. This was the signal they had agreed on and Naruto and Gaara dashed into the hall. It took some time for the guards to see them with their black clothes on and by then it was already too late.

Gaara screamed at the top of his lungs as he charged, Naruto using his back for cover. Gaara blasted right past Ebisu and pulled a long switchblade from his pocket, brandishing it and swinging it down in a high arc. It pierced the flesh behind Right's clavicle and turned him into a fountain of blood. Left screamed at this sudden appearance of death, but Gaara threw the knife this time and sent it straight into the man's forehead. Gaara's job here was done. The boy stood still to observe Naruto, meanwhile dipping his hands in the blood of his victims, using it to scrawl tiny words and markings along his arms, humming a mantra for the Mother of the Moon.

Naruto, meanwhile, was having no trouble evading Ebisu's attacks. When Ebisu realized that close combat wasn't going to cut it and reached for his revolver, Naruto stepped behind him and snapped his neck with a simple flick of his wrists. Ebisu was dead before he hit the ground.

The two boys stood there for a while. Naruto enjoying the sensation of his heart pounding in his throat and Gaara mumbling away. They only moved when they heard a door shriek.

Hinata was standing in the doorway, her arms in front of her breasts to shield herself from the cold. Her lavender eyes were questioning and roamed around the hall to retrieve the source of the ruckus. When she saw three dead bodies and two home invaders she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Gaara moved quickly and silenced her with his hand. Naruto pulled the note from his pocket, folding it and setting it down in the pool of already congealing blood by Left's head. Sai had forged the handwriting on it and it stated something very specific.

 _The girl blew our cover tonight. Next time we'll kill her too. The Demon Foxes are everywhere._

Gaara and Naruto ran for all they were worth.


	3. Little brats can say sorry too

Just as Asuma Sarutobi would arrive at the Hyuuga Mansion to find three men slaughtered at their posts, Naruto slid his key into his front door. He was still feeling the adreneline and his fingers were tingling with the memory of closing around Ebisu's unsuspecting neck. There was a smile on his face that nobody would be able to beat off.

He had discarded the black clothes he had worn to commit murder in Konoha Park, dumping them in a trash can and setting them alight. Gaara had done the same and after that they had both gone their own ways. Gaara had been laughing out loud all the way and as he walked off Naruto could hear him whisper sweet words to his Mother of the Moon. Naruto had been curious about the words and symbols Gaara had painted on himself with the blood of his victims and Gaara had explained to him that they signified the path that he had to walk to become a full fledged Moon Child. Every kill added another word to the growing prayer.

On his way home Naruto had sent Kakashi a message to let him know that everything had gone according to plan. Kakashi had called him immediately to compliment him. Then the man had given his phone to someone else in the room, another member of the Demon Fox Gang.

"Oi, Naruto," Shikamaru's voice had appeared on the other end of the line. If Kakashi was the supercomputer of the Gang, Shikamaru was the brains. His analytical ability was unrivalled and his insights into human functioning made him a valuable asset.

"Shikamaruuuuuu..." Naruto had cooed, still caught up in his bliss. "Tell me what's up."

"Our chances of stealing the Dagger, that's what." Naruto could hear the smile in Shikamaru's voice, and smiling was something that he rarely did.

"So what's next," Naruto had asked. "Or are you just calling to say hello?"

"As if," Shikamaru had replied. "I'm calling to verify if you got every detail down."

"Ai, Shika, you know me."

"Right. That's why I'm calling."

"Hurtful."

"You'll get over it," Shikamaru had said. "Did you leave the card for Asuma to find?"

"Sure did."

"Good. If anything Asuma will tell Neji all about it."

And that was a crucial part of the plan. For now everything was going the way the Demon Fox Gang wanted it to. Asuma would find the card that claimed this crime as theirs and that would once again open the microscopical folder that the Konoha Police Department had on them. Too bad for them that Asuma had stuffed it full of false leads. They wouldn't be getting anywhere with it and that was the idea.

It was only natural that Hiashi Hyuuga would have to be briefed about who had broken into his home and had killed his men. Logic had it that Neji would hear of this too and that put the renegade member of the Gang under a lot of strain. He would know who was responsible and he would understand why they had made a move, but the only way to use this information was to reveal himself as an indirect accomplice. The world would find out that Neji used his wealth and his connections in the business industry to provide the Demon Fox Gang with a steady flow of clients. The same Gang that had claimed to murder the daughter of the world's richest man if she got in the way again.

Letting Hiashi know that it was the girl they were after was also part of the strategy. He would want to up the security, freeing more slots for applicants and increasing Naruto's chances. Going on the hope that Hinata would recognize him from their meeting in Konoha Park it would give him a considerable edge over the other applicants. And by keeping Neji in the thumbscrews he could earn himself an added recommendation.

The entire plan was milling through Naruto's excited mind as he entered his own home. The clock in the hall told him that it was just a little past one in the morning and that made him glad. Normally he did his work on the dead of night so it was nice to be home early for a change.

Sakura was still awake and it seemed that she had been waiting up for him. When he walked into the living room she turned away from the television and graced him with a smile. She was in an all-round better mood ever since he had started working in Kakashi's store and that made being around her a whole lot more bareable. For the last few days Naruto had started to question himself whether or not he was being too harsh in his judgement of her. He couldn't ignore the things about her that got under his skin, like her refusal to help with their fincances, but she was starting to do more work around the apartment and she wasn't nearly as vindictive as she had been three weeks ago. This had forced Naruto to reconsider his feelings for her.

He couldn't deny that a lot of his infatuation for her had gone away. Not too long ago he had even gone as far as saying that he did not love her anymore. But he supposed that that statement would never hold up; he would always love her no matter what happened. Because, and his heart told him so, he had loved her at one point. He believed this with his entire being. And if he had loved her before, he could love her again.

They were finding their way back to themselves in time. Right now, as she walked towards him, he did not feel an inkling of irritation. As the dim light in the room revealed the smooth features of her face his mind wandered back to a night that had happened years ago, when Naruto was still a state-registered orphan and Sakura still lived with her parents. Mebuki had refused to let him in the house, being the pauper that he was, but Sakura had waited for him. And when her parents had gone to bed she had opened her window, letting him in and saying nothing as she faced him, expectancy hanging between them and robbing them both of breath. At the end of their endeavours he had looked at her lying naked on her bed, a sickle of a moon casting a yellow glow over her, and he had realized that he loved her.

Those feelings had gone away for a while, but as that smile tugged at her lips right this second he could feel a semblance of their old selves arise, knotting his gut and sending flutters through him.

"Hey honey," she said, halting in front of him and reaching out for his hands. He allowed her to take them and he mirrored her smile. "Did you have fun with the guys?"

He had told her that he would be having drinks with 'the guys', as was his usual excuse when he went off robbing and killing. And because she didn't specifically ask if he had fun having said drinks, he could tell her that yes, guy time had been a lot of fun. And not a word of it was a lie.

"Good," she said, smiling still. "You deserve it, you know. You worked very hard these past few days."

"I guess I did," Naruto replied with a chuckle. "but let's not talk about work now. I'm happy that you're still up. I missed you."

She wrapped her arms around him and gave a little giggle, turning her into the young girl that he had fallen in love with so long ago. She kissed him and fondled at his shirt, her intentions as clear as day. "I missed you too," she said and then kissed him once more.

They only just made it to the bed, which would creak and groan with the rhythm of their play for hours to come. Their bliss would not be disturbed until long after, when the first rays of sunlight were already crawling along the horizon and the birds that had stayed for winter begin to chirp and sing to dawn in a new day.

Naruto hadn't yet slept but that didn't matter. He felt awake enough to tackle three days in a row. Sakura was curled up against him, her head on his pectorals. In an hour he would have to get up to go back to work. Only something, or rather someone, forced him out of bed early.

The doorbell rang, making him furrow his brow in confusion. The only person who could be at the door at this hour would be their upstairs neighbour, Hiruzen Sarutobi. The mayor of Konoha had rented out an entire floor of the apartment building and he constantly complained about the noise coming from Naruto and Sakura. But when Naruto had thrown on a pair of boxers and opened the door, it was another Sarutobi who was on the other side.

"Yo," Konohamaru stated.

"Oh, it's you," Naruto yawned, rubbing his eye with a knuckle. "What do you want." It was hardly a question.

"Can I come inside?" Konohamaru asked. "Please?" he added upon seeing Naruto become even more confused.

Naruto let out a sigh and stepped aside. "Shouldn't you be a floor up?"

Konohamaru shook his head. "No, Gramps is probably still asleep anyway. I came here to see you."

Naruto shrugged and walked into the living room, beckoning Konohamaru to follow him. Once inside he turned on the coffee maker, pulled on some sweatpants to make himself look even slightly decent and sat himself down on the shabby couch. Konohamaru took the spot opposite of him and began to stare at his feet.

Naruto allowed him to stew in his juices for a little while, getting up to serve the both of them coffee. Once he had taken his first sip of the day he felt inclined to ask.

"So, any reason you came here at five thirty in the morning?" he asked while casually sipping from his mug.

"I wanted to talk to you," Konohamaru stated the obvious.

"About?"

"I... I..." Konohamaru swallowed hard. "I wanted to apologize."

"Oh?" So miracles still existed. "Where did that come from?"

"I've been thinking about what you said earlier, about how I have no idea of the value of money and how I want everyone to kiss my ass. Well, you were right."

Naruto couldn't help but smile; this was why Shikamaru was the best judge of character. His own stupefaction at Konohamaru's apology showed how he sometimes refused to see the good side of people.

"Okay..." Naruto said, not sure on what to do next. "I'm glad to see that you can tell yourself that. Anything else that I could do for you?"

"I dunno," Konohamaru said. "Maybe we could just, you know, hang out?"

Naruto smiled again. "Sure, why not. We're co-workers so we might as well learn to get along."

"Great! So what are we going to do?"

"Well you are going to get the hell out of my house so I can get ready for work. Tonight you can come over here and we can watch a movie or something, whatever you're up for."

"Can I bring my gaming system? I have three of them anyway, so you can have one."

"Knock yourself out."

"Sweet! I'll see you at work then." And just like that Naruto's new friend was off and gone.

"Huh," Naruto muttered into thin air, shaking his head. "Strange kid, that one."

...

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled through the store. Naruto looked up from the assortment of cables that he was plowing his way through. "You have an out-call!"

"Coming!" he replied, dropping his work and stepping inside the office. Konohamaru's eyes followed him all the way there.

Kakashi was sitting behind his desk, upon which a big box had been placed. Naruto peered inside and felt his stomach drop like a brick.

"Is it time already?" Naruto asked, jabbing his thumb at the box. "It's only been a week and a half."

"Well, considering Hiashi Hyuuga is probably the richest man on the planet I'd say it's not strange that he wants his security team complete and ready as soon as possible."

"Fair enough." Naruto reached inside the box and pulled out the suit inside. "Do you really expect me to wear this though?"

"I do," Kakashi replied, tucking a hand away into a pocket. "The Hyuuga family doesn't do 'pauper'." He used his free hand to signal the air quotes.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "And the flowers?"

"How did you ever get a girlfriend?" Kakashi sighed. "I guess chivalry really is dead."

"So they're for Hinata," Naruto concluded. "Do you have a speech ready too?"

"Nope, that one you'll just have to wing."

"What else is new."

"Just get dressed already. And use the back door. I don't need any questions about why you are dressed so nicely."

Forty-five minutes later Naruto found himself standing in the main hall of Hyuuga Mansion, dressed in the suit and the flowers cradled in his arms. Other applicants were waiting as well and they were a strange bunch put together like this. Even with his own wild golden hair, Naruto looked to be pretty normal.

After waiting for some time a sickly looking man appeared from behind a door to the left. The bags under his eyes were as dark as his pupils and the cough that erupted from his throat posed serious questions about his health. The man addressed the crowd in front of him with a tone of voice that betrayed his unwillngness to be messed with.

"Hello everyone and thank you for coming. My name is Gekko Hayate and I am the head of security of the Hyuuga family. It is my job to select three of you to form young Miss Hyuuga's new bodyguards. The process for selecting miss Hinata's new bodyguards is quite simple. First you will meet with a prominent member of the Hyuuga family who will judge you on your willingness to take on the job in front of you and verify your information. During this part of the selection you will also be judged on you physical capabilities so that we may only hire the best of the best. Any questions so far?"

No one said anything.

"Very well," Hayate continued. "Those who are deemed appropriate will meet with Miss Hinata and her Father, Mr. Hiashi. The final decision is up to Miss Hinata, though Mr. Hiashi will be present to counsel her if need be. Miss Hinata will judge you on the words you choose to speak to her and she will not accept anyone around whom she will feel uncomfortable. Is all of this clear?"

A general hum of agreement moved through the hall.

"Okay then, let's get to work. First off..."

...

Naruto was the sixteenth applicant to be called forth for the first part of the selection process. Hayate directed him towards a door at the left wing of the compound. Naruto was curious who would be behind the door, though he had an inkling of suspicion. When he knocked an all too familiar voice beckoned him inside. He grinned. This was going to be too easy.

He stepped into the room and his expectations turned out to be reality. Neji Hyuuga was sitting behind a desk and hadn't looked up yet. Behind Neji stood a boy of about their age. This boy's face was decorated with the bushiest eyebrows that Naruto had ever seen in his life, topped off with a bowl cut to make the whole thing look even more ridiculous. A scar ran diagonally across his entire face. That boy's name was Rock Lee, Neji's own bodyguard and the Demon Fox Gang's hired muscle.

After a second or two Neji did look up and Lee followed his gaze. Purple eyes flared open in shock when they registered the sight of Naruto.

"N-Naruto," Neji stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"Me?" Naruto asked, trying to keep from laughing. He walked over to the desk and plopped himself down in a chair without any sense of grace. "What do you think?"

"You aren't seriously considering joining Hiashi's bodyguard force, are you?"

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

Neji's eyebrows lowered into a puzzled frown. "You are the whole reason that this selection process is needed. I was well aware that The Demon Fox Gang would attempt to steal the Dagger of Five Winds, but I had never expected you to murder Hinata's protectors while you did so."

"What makes you say I did that?"

"Oh please, Naruto, how gullible do you think I am?" Neji brought a fist down on his desk. "You and Gaara are the Gang's hit squad. You are also the master thief. It was easy to come to the right conclusion."

"Okay, so if you already know I did it, can you take a stab at why I am here?"

Lee decided to weigh in on this one. "To get closer to the Dagger, I assume."

"Chaka-cha-pow!" Naruto said, miming finger guns. "Right on the money."

Naruto hardly thought it possible, but Neji's brow creased even further down. "What makes you so deluded that you think that I am going to allow this?"

Naruto broke into a smile. "I'm glad that you asked." He felt his mood rising; puting Neji under this amount of pressure felt very satisfying. He was going to talk his way into this new position and Neji knew this. The boy opposite of him was only asking these questions for the sake of formality. In a minute Naruto was going to pull out his reasoning for being the perfect man for the job and if Neji had the audicity to decline, Naruto would make him regret it. No one tried to just sneak out of the Demon Fox Gang.

"Where to start, where to start," Naruto mused. "Oh, I know. How about your own position within the Demon Fox Gang? You have been important to us for a long time, Neji. Important for many reasons. I don't think Hiashi would like it if he knew that you have been responsible for the majority of our income. Nor will he enjoy hearing that it was you who gave us the idea to steal the Dagger."

"That's a lie!" Neji rose from his chair and bumped into his desk, sending stacks of papers tumbling to the floor.

"Yes, that is nothing but a fallacy!" Lee agreed. "Boss Neji only withdrew from the Fox Gang because it began to threaten his own family and personal wellbeing!"

"True," Naruto relented. "But does Hiashi know that?"

He was met with stunned silence.

"Just as I thought. Good." Naruto took a second to look at his fingernails and see if they were squeaky clean. First impressions mattered after all. "Okay, so here's the thing, Neji. I'm going to be honest with you. I want this job. Kakashi wants me to get this job. The entire Gang wants me to. And you have no choice but to give it to me, unless you want to live the rest of your days checking garbage cans for food. You're not in a bargaining position here. But you can make this easy on yourself. If you let me do what I do best, there will be no reprecussions for you, nor for Lee. As soon as that Dagger vanishes I will be fired, you will still be rich and we all get to live happily ever after. All you have to do is let me hang around your niece for a few weeks. How's that sound?"

Neji's face was contorted with barely hidden fury, but Naruto could tell that he would crack. He already had this one in the pocket.

"Very well," Neji said with a sigh. "I see that I have no other options for now. I will allow you to continue to the second stage of the selection process, but after that the decision is out of my hands. If Hinata does not want you to be her bodyguard, you will not become so. Furthermore, you will not harm any other person in this mansion as long as you are employed here, nor are you allowed to use violence to obtain the Dagger. Do we have a deal?"

"Done and done," Naruto said. "I'd ask you if you still want me to take the physical, but I'm guessing that you just have the applicants fight Lee, right?"

"That is correct. Why, would you like to have another brawl with him?"

Lee arched his brows and Naruto could see the hope glimmering in his eyes. The scar that decorated Lee's features had been put there by Naruto a little over a year ago. Neji had rolled into the Gang and he had recommended Lee as the Gang's brawler. Kakashi had been reluctant to accept another member, but Naruto did not mind testing Lee's ability. It had ended with Lee lying on the floor, his face spurting blood like a lawn sprinkler. Nobody had said that they weren't allowed to use weapons.

"Nah," Naruto eventually replied. "I'm good."

"Then please continue on to the end of the hallway. The door at the far end is where you need to be for the second stage. Knock and Hiashi will tell you to enter."

Naruto stood up and was about to leave Neji's office when Neji added "I can't tell you how badly I hope that it won't be you."

Naruto threw him a peace sign.

...

Hiashi Hyuuga had a frightening look in his eye. It made Naruto stay on his toes as he marched across the length of the room, sitting himself down in the chair opposite of the billionaire. He looked around the room and was surprised that Hinata wasn't present.

It was as if Hiashi could read his mind. "My daughter will be joining us shortly."

Naruto nodded. Okay, good. He needed Hinata to be here in order to make sure that he would be accepted. There was no doubt in his mind that she would recognize him.

"Why don't we start without her?" Hiashi asked, and suddenly the whole tone of the conversation seemed to shift when the man drew a smile onto his features. "How about you begin by telling me something about yourself."

"Okay... eh..." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was born nineteen years ago, but I never knew my parents. I was raised in an orphanage here in Konoha and I've lived there until right before my seventeenth birthday. I have an apartment in the city where I live with my girlfriend. I like running, sometimes reading and I currently work at Hatake's Hard Drives and Computers, though I will quit that job if I get accepted for this one."

Hiashi nodded at this information. "And what makes you think that you are qualified for the position?"

"I am in good physical condition," Naruto said. "I am used to working odd hours and I like to think of myself as moderately sociable. And, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to be of an age with your daughter Hinata, so on certain subjects she can view me as her peer if she wants to."

Hiashi did not say anything to this, but Naruto understood that the man would be reluctant to let Hinata have a personal relationship with her staff.

The door behind them opened. Naruto turned and saw her walk in.

It was just like before. Hinata seemed to have sucked all the air out of the room when she entered it and Naruto realized by the pressure on his chest that he had forgotten to breathe. When she looked up he was yet again drawn in by those eyes of hers. They mirrored her father's but they were filled with a warmth and a sense of compassion that Hiashi's missed.

She was wearing another kimono, only this time she did have slippers underneath them, Naruto noted to his amusement. Hinata closed the door behind her and reared her head to look at the new applicant. Whatever words she might have wanted to speak died on her tongue.

"Hey!" Naruto greeted her with the toothiest smile that he could muster. Her eyes showed all the signs of recognition and after a few seconds she seemed to come to from the shock.

"Hello," Hinata returned the greeting and gave a little bow. Naruto inclined his head.

Naruto stood up and offered her a hand, which she took and promptly curtsied. Naruto couldn't help but laugh and kiss her hand to show that he did have the basics of polite behaviour down. He thought he could hear Hiashi feign a cough behind him. Naruto ignored him.

"I brought you something," Naruto said, filling Hinata's eyes with surprise. he held out the boquet of flowers that Kakashi had prepared for him. They were amaryllises, pink and yellow ones. Hinata gave a delighted little giggle that turned Naruto's insides to goo. She bent over and sniffed the flowers, smiling.

"Thank you," she said as she accepted them. "They are beautiful."

Naruto almost bit his tongue in two as he prevented himself from calling her even more beautiful. Not only was it a horrible cliché, it was also wildly inappropriate.

And yet his mind did speak the words. And it meant them, sending his thoughts into a furious spiral of confusion. Never before had he been so caught off guard by a girl's natural appearance. But Hinata just robbed him of his words.

This was not good.

To steer his mind away Naruto decided to joke around a little. "Good to see that you have something on your feet now."

Hinata giggled again and Naruto felt his face flare up. Hiashi almost cried out in disbelief. "The two of you have met before?"

His daughter gave a brisk nod and sniffed the bundle in her hands again. "Yes Father, this is the boy that I told you about. The one who gave me his shoes to walk home on."

"Oh?" Hiashi said, surprised. "Then you have my thanks, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and cracked a grin. "It was nothing, really."

"Naruto, is that your name?" Hinata asked. When he confirmed this she said "I like that name. It's unique."

"T-Thank you," Naruto said, blushing hard. _Damn, what is this girl doing to me? Since when do I get so flustered when a pretty girl gives me a compliment?_ This brought back the memory of him calling her pretty to her face, which in turn made his face resemble a fire hydrant.

"Did you make it through the first stage?" Hinata inquired.

"I did," Naruto replied. "It wasn't easy though, that cousin of yours has some angry eyes."

Hinata laughed. "I've heard that before. So, you want to be my new bodyguard?"

"If you'll let me." It was funny to see how carefree she seemed here, instead of the shy little thing she was at the park.

She smiled. "Sure, why not."

...

"Another new job?" Sakura questioned him that evening. She was busy stacking their dirty plates into the sink. A tea towel was slung lazily over her shoulder. "But you just got to work with Kakashi."

"I know, but Kakashi was the one to tell me about the job in the first place." Which was true enough, all things considered. Naruto watched her lean against the kitchen counter and contemplate what this new development would mean.

"So you are going to be a bodyguard?" she asked. "Like, an actual 'lay-your-life-on-the-line' type of guy?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, not to stomp on your happiness, but do you honestly think it is the right job for you?" Sakura walked back into the living room, her arms folded in front of her chest and her face betraying a playful sense of curiosity.

"I do," Naruto told her. "Now I can actually use my physical state for something worthwhile. And besides, the pay is in-cre-di-ble."

That made her crack a little smile. "Enough to pay for an extra room?"

"Oh yes, and maybe even two."

That smile fell away again. That wasn't too good of a sign. "Don't try anything with that Hyuuga girl, though."

Naruto tried his best not to swallow hard. That was the subject that he had been wanting to avoid. Not because he couldn't promise Sakura such a thing. As long as he was with her he wouldn't even look at Hinata funny. What made this so painful was that he was very obviously crushing on the girl. Most of the feelings that had begun to stir inside of him were superficial. Flutters in his stomach and a tendancy to break out into a blush. It wasn't anything insane; things like that could happen. But they were feelings nonetheless. It made him feel like a cheater.

And it wasn't like he could tell any of this to Sakura. They were in the phase of mending what had been broken for a long time. Their relationship had taken a plunge before, cracking itself and exposing wounds that were hard to heal. But they _were_ healing and that was something to be encouraged. If Naruto exposed his thoughts and feelings now, he wouldn't just drop it, he would throw it on the ground with force.

So he just nodded and grinned a toothy grin. Sakura returned it and that was the end of that.

She joined him on the couch and they watched television together for a while. Around eight in the evening the doorbell rang. Naruto sighed and stood up to let the visitor in.

"Who's that?" Sukara asked him.

"Konohamaru," Naruto replied. "I texted him earlier that I would be quitting Kakashi's. He answered that he would be coming over tonight. I don't think he's happy."

"Aw, that's too bad," Sakura said. "I like that kid." And she did. For a reason that Naruto could not exactly place, Konohamaru and Sakura had taken to each other as soon he had introduced them. Naruto had some suspicions about _what_ Konohamaru liked about Sakura, but it couldn't be helped.

And it was indeed Konohamaru who came to visit. The first thing the boy did upon entering the apartment was let out a bout of curses that would make his mother cry if she heard it. It made Naruto laugh.

"What the hell is so funny, you bastard?" Konohamaru hissed through gritted teeth, looking like an oversized toddler throwing a temper tantrum. His heels dug into the carpet and Naruto suspected he was trying to keep from kicking.

"Does your mother know that you use those kind of words?" Naruto laughed.

"She wouldn't care anyway," Konohamaru replied. "So why'd you have to go and bail on me?"

"I knew you'd hate that," Naruto said with a sigh. "Sorry man, but the opportunity was there and I just had to take it. I love Kakashi with all my heart, but unfortunately if I keep working for him I'll never be able to afford myself a new place to live."

"But we were getting along so well..."

It sent a pang through Naruto, this sullen young kid sitting on his couch, staring at his feet as if they could bring him solace. Once again Naruto was reminded of the fact that nobody was two-dimensional. There was much more to Konohamaru than the eye could see at first glance. Chances were that he didn't have any friends of his own, or at least none that he had managed to make without his nasty former attitude. Aside from Naruto, that was.

An idea formed in Naruto's mind, but he snubbed it out quickly. No, not yet. That was still too dangerous.

"I know we were," he said, joining Konohamaru on the couch. "And we'll still be. I'll be working regular hours the next few weeks anyway, so I'll have plenty of time to hang out."

Konohamaru grumbled a little, then appeared to relent. "Fine. I guess I can't blame you."

Naruto inclined his head in gratitude.

"So what are you going to do now?"Konohamaru asked. "You probably found something better, right?"

"You could say that," Naruto said. "I'm gonna be Hinata Hyuuga's bodyguard. But keep it under the radar a little, will ya?"

Konohamaru whistled between his teeth. "Phew, lucky! The Hyuugas are like the richest people in the world, aren't they?"

"They really are celebrities, huh?"

"Of course!" Konohamaru exclaimed. "Who do you think paid for Gramps's reelection campaign?"

Sakura chose that moment to poke her head out of the kitchen. "Hey, Konohamaru!"

The boy grinned so wide that Naruto feared his lips might tear right off his jaw. "Oi, Sakura!"

"I just made some coffee. You want some?"

"Sure!" His grin stretched even further and a mild hue of pink began to creep into his face. Just as Sakura returned to the kitchen to get drinks Naruto thrust his elbow into Konohamaru's ribs. The boy jolted up, startled and sore.

'What the hell was that for?!"

"Stop eyeballing my girlfriend," Naruto spoke in a hushed whisper. "You're like twelve. She's much too old for you."

"I'm sixteen, thank you very much," Konohamaru corrected him. "And besides, who knows what will happen with you and that Hinata girl."

"The hell are you talking about?"

Konohamaru chuckled. "I heard she's freakin' hot."

There was an immediate desire to backhand the little brat across the face, but Naruto resisted the temptation. "Maybe she is," he said, hoping that Konohamaru would drop the subject. This was dangerous territory.

"I bet she is," Konohamaru said, smirking. "Otherwise you wouldn't be so braggy about working for her."

"Can't I share happy news?"

"You _just_ said that it needs to be kept on the down low. But you just couldn't resist throwing it in my face that you're guarding a pretty girl. If you hadn't, you would've just told me that you're working security."

That made Naruto squint so hard that it made his eyes sore. That little brat. That particular observation would have made Shikamaru cry tears of pride.

"Shut up, you wiseass." Maybe, just maybe, Naruto would reconsider that idea from a little while ago. Although the decision to do so wouldn't be made until a few moments later.

Sakura waltzed back into the room with a tray in her hands laden with coffee cups and a jar of sugar. She was about to set the whole thing down when her toes snagged behind her fuzzy slipper, which had found its way there the previous evening. Naruto wanted to jump up, but someone else was quicker than he was.

Konohamaru was up in a flash, using his left arm to block Sakura's further fall and to prevent her from breaking her neck over the coffee table. He caught the tray with his right hand, almost losing it once, but he straightened it out with only a few drops of spillage as evidence.

The first crisis averted, both Sakura and Naruto let out a heavy breath. Konohamaru's little moment of glory wasn't over, though. The sugar jar had tipped over during the action and had just now rolled off the tray, forcing Konohamaru to once again balance it to keep coffee from flying everywhere. The heavy jar plummeted straight down and for the two seconds that it took Naruto imagined it coming down on Konohamaru's foot, shattering it into a bloody pulp. But no, Konohamaru had this covered. His foot shut up and gripped the jar in an angle against his leg.

And just like that, all was well.

Sakura thanked Konohamaru time and time again that night. Naruto, meanwhile, felt his thoughts churning. The decision had made itself. All that Naruto could do now was lead everything into the correct path.

Konohamaru stayed late that night. Sakura went to bed two hours before Konohamaru and Naruto played their last video game level of the night. As they both lost by a landslide, naruto put his controller aside and shot a glance at the boy next to him.

"Konohamaru?"

"Yes?"

"How often would you say you are bored?"

Konohamaru pondered this for a moment. "Pretty much all the time, why?"

"Thought so," Naruto said. "Maybe I have something fun for you to do with your life instead of sitting around and playing video games."

Konohamaru's eyebrows almost disappeared behind his goggles. "What?"

He couldn't help it. Naruto just began to laugh.


	4. Drawing lilies

**Hey, chapter 4 here! I hope that they'll fix this f***ing update issue soon, cause that way I can spread this story even more :)**

 **Now please red, reviw and enjoy!**

* * *

"C'mon, are you going to tell me or what?"

Konohamaru was growing impatient and that amused Naruto. He also somewhat envied the kid's lingering childishness. To be so carefree must've been a blessing from the gods.

Naruto took a look over his shoulder at the bedroom door to see if it was closed properly. He was about to tell Konohamaru something that even Sakura had no idea of. He wasn't going to risk anything now.

"Okay, so here's the thing," he started, still not really sure how to introduce his idea. "I'm not exactly a sweetheart."

He saw a snarky remark trying to spill its way over Konohamaru's lips, but when Naruto lowered his eyebrows to show that he was serious Konohamaru faltered. That was good; this wasn't a joking matter.

"Has your uncle told you about the Demon Fox Gang by any chance?" Naruto inquired. His stomach was heavy with anticipation and his pulse had begun to drum in his temples.

"Uncle Asuma?" Konohamaru asked, nonplussed. "How do you know about him?"

"Just answer the question and I'll answer yours."

Konohamaru did know something about the Gang alright. "Uncle says that they must be some kind of group of organized super criminals. They steal, kill, and kidnap."

"Right," Naruto confirmed. "Anything else?"

The boy digged deep into his mind for that one. "Sometimes they leave a note or a business card to claim a crime. Uncle says that it seems like they want the police to know about them. He thinks that _they_ think that they were too good at their jobs to be caught."

"And do you believe that?"

"I wouldn't know," Konohamaru said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Uncle only tells me little things about them and even then he talks to my parents a lot more than he does to me. I do think that he is a little afraid of them though. Sometimes it even seems like he respects them."

This forced a smile onto Naruto's face. Asuma made it no secret that he loved his duties to the Gang. His daytime job was to catch the perp, his nighttime one was to be it. Asuma was the greatest imposter in Konoha.

"Now you answer my question," Konohamaru reminded him.

"Well that would mean that I have to tell you a story, a pretty long one too." Naruto rose from the couch and collected the empty cans and packets of cookies and chips that had been strewn across the coffee table throughout the night. "Think you can stay awake for that long?"

"Sure," Konohamaru replied. "I'm still young, I can miss a night of sleep."

"Good," Naruto said. "I'll make us some coffee and we'll talk this over."

Ten minutes later Konohamaru was sitting next to him, a steaming mug clasped between his hands. He was silent and waiting for Naruto to speak. The older boy was busy pulling stuffing from the armrest of his couch to try and kill his growing anxiety. This was still very much a coin toss.

"Okay, so here's the thing," he eventually said, grasping Konohamaru's immediate attention. "The Demon Fox Gang _is_ a group of highly specialized criminals. I know, cause I'm a part of them."

He allowed Konohamaru some time to let this sink in. The kid blinked at the statement, mulling it over. When every thought seemed to have been processed his face contorted into a confused frown.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," Naruto said, smiling now. "That's okay. I have plenty of proof."

"You're a member of the Demon Fox Gang?" Konohamaru asked, still not believing his friend.

"Uh-huh."

"So what do you do?" Konohamaru suddenly reared up, his eyes sparkling with a desire to know more about this giant taboo.

"I'm a hit-and-runner," Naruto answered. "I break into places to steal things. My specialty is running away from the police or whoever might be chasing me. You wouldn't say it at first glance, but I'm pretty damn fast."

"So cool..."

Naruto couldn't help the glare that took over his face for a few seconds. "You'd think so, but it isn't. It's dangerous."

"That's what's so cool about it."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Of course that's what you think."

"You're damn right! I'd kill for a job that awesome."

"Well you'd be surprised how true those words can be." Naruto drank from his coffee and put his mug down. He swirled around on the couch to look at Konohamaru and make certain that the boy would listen to everything he had to say.

"Listen, Konohamaru, cause I'll only explain this once."

Konohamaru gave a sharp nod and turned his full attention on Naruto.

"The Demon Fox Gang was formed almost three years ago. I am one of the founders, along with some other people that I might tell you about later. I started the group with these people because we all hated our boring little lives. I didn't have any parents or schooling. Someone else was caught in a dead end job with no chance of going anywhere. Others... others just have urges.

The point is, though, that the Demon Fox Gang exists just because I needed some excitement in my life. Some friends thought that the idea was good and after a while we ended up with eight members. Because everyone had their own specialty or other uses to the Gang we can take on many different jobs. We don't even move independently anymore. We get hired to do what we do these days."

Konohamaru listened to all of this, then posed the question that Naruto needed to hear from him.

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because," Naruto said, drawing his legs underneath him in a lotus position. "I want you to know every essential thing about the Gang before I can explain my purpose. You asked me how I knew about your uncle, right?"

"Yeah," Konohamaru said. His eyes changed from curious to stupified. "Don't tell me that Uncle Asuma is a part of the Demon Fox Gang as well!"

"Well I could, but I'd be lying."

"No way," Konohamaru said. "Impossible. Uncle is always so happy to talk about his work. I thought he would never shut up when he caught the Green Demon."

"He was happy about that because the Green Demon had tried to find out about us." Naruto recalled Asuma stepping into Kakashi's basement, laughing his ass off about the whole situation. He had even gone on record to say that it had been an honour to rid Konoha of such a dangerous drug dealer, that it was his duty to serve and protect. They had all laughed at that for about an hour.

"I still can't believe it," Konohamaru said. "I just can't."

"Well buckle up, kid," Naruto said. "Because life isn't fair."

Konohamaru held his silence for a little while. When he did speak, he surprised Naruto with his quick wit.

"I heard a story on the news yesterday," he said. "It said that Hiashi Hyuuga had to hire new staff because someone broke into his home and killed some of his security team. That was you, wasn't it? The Foxes?"

"I don't think I can deny that," Naruto answered. "We had our reasons, though."

Konohamaru squinted at him. "What, were you feeling bored again?"

Naruto smiled again. "Not really, but I suppose that is also true in a way. I have to say, you're taking this a lot better than I thought."

"That's..." He appeared to have trouble finding the right words. "I... Well it's just like you said. I'm bored a lot and even though you just told me that you kill people I still want to know more."

"I never said that I kill people."

"But you have, right?"

Naruto did not say anything.

"See?" Konohamaru said. "I knew it."

Naruto let out a sigh. "I can't hide anything from you, I suppose. So why aren't you running like hell?"

"Because I still want to know why you are telling me all of this."

"Are you sure you can handle that?" Naruto asked. A smirk wanted to crawl its way up to his face; he had Konohamaru eating from the palm of his hand.

"Just tell me already!"

"Fine, fine," Naruto laughed. "No need to get your panties in a twist. The reason I let you in on everything is because I want you to join us."

All Konohamaru could do for a while was blink. The first words to leave his mouth formed a question. "Why me?"

"Well, maybe you don't hear this a lot, but you are kinda smart," Naruto admitted. "We have a guy for that specifically, but I think that if you keep using your brains you'll become as smart as he is. And you know all the right people. We used to have someone for that too, but he bailed on us."

"What do you mean I know all the right people?"

"Rich folks," Naruto explained. "We used to have a Hyuuga in the Gang too and he set us up with most of our clients. I was thinking that you could take over. If you want to of course."

"Anything else?"

"We could use you as a guy for our resources," Naruto told him. "Using the money we make with our missions isn't easy. Almost all of us have terrible credit ratings. But not you."

A light went on behind Konohamaru's eyes. "So you want me for the money?"

"Tsck," Naruto scoffed. "As if. Follow me. I want to show you something."

Konohamaru followed him into the kitchen. Naruto kneeled down in front of the cabinet on the far left of the sink and patted his knuckles on the greasy tiles, searching for the hollow sound that would betray his secret stash. When he found it, he lifted two tiles right out of the ground.

There was a safe underneath. It wasn't anything special, but it was concealed well and it did its job. Sakura had no idea that it was there.

Naruto opened it and revealed three sets of all black clothes. He bought a new set every time he got done with a mission so he always had some lying around. The clothes weren't important though. What mattered was what could be found beneath them. Naruto tossed them aside and allowed Konohamaru to glance inside.

He heard the boy gasp and with good reason. Stacks upon stacks of bills had been neatly fitted into the safe. They shimmered in multiple colours, casting a queer sort of rainbow over the dim kitchen. Naruto had never counted all of it, but he estimated to have around a million and a half ryo locked away here.

"Wow," Konohamaru breathed. "How did you get all of this?"

Naruto pulled a bundle of bills out. "This one was from when we took out Moon."

"The drug dealer?"

"Right you are. This one is from stealing some big ass diamond I had never even heard about. This one is from when we spied on Shimura Danzo so his political opponents knew everything about him."

Konohamaru looked at the contents of the safe again, then nodded. "Okay, so you don't want me for money. You want me as a hook-up and a strategist."

"Oh no, I want more from you, actually," Naruto said. "Maybe you aren't aware of this either, but your reflexes are almost as good as mine. You might have saved Sakura's life tonight."

"That was nothing."

"It was everything," Naruto contradicted him. "It was fantastic. I could hardly keep up with you. I think you have it in you to become the most valuable member of the entire Gang. You would not only be me, but also our Shikamaru and our Neji."

Konohamaru was quiet for a very long time. "Would that mean that I have to kill someone as well?"

"Not at all. You only have to take the jobs that you want to take. If you only want to help me steal shit that's fine too."

"And if I want out?"

"Then you can get out. As long as you keep your mouth shut, though."

"And if I don't?"

Naruto didn't falter. "Then you will die."

Konohamaru swallowed hard, but a determined look crossed his face. "I'll do it."

Naruto smiled. "That's awesome, man. I can help you out starting tomorrow. Sakura will be at her mother's, so we won't have to sneak around a lot. We'll meet in Konoha Park and start your training."

"Training?" Konohamaru asked stupidly.

Naruto couldn't resist a sigh. "Yes, training. We're going to do lots of running and fighting to make sure that you get your body up to speed. After that I'll introduce you to some members of the Gang, see who you'll be dealing with."

"I guess that sounds like a plan. But you're going to need my help too, though."

"What the hell with?"

"Courtesy classes," Konohamaru deadpanned. "Your job for the Hyuugas is obviously some cover for a mission you are working on. It'll do you no good to get fired after a week because you don't have any manners. And besides, it will help you stay distant from that Hinata girl."

This surprised Naruto. "Why are you so hung up on that?"

Konohamaru sighed and crossed his arms, leaning against the kitchen counter. "C'mon, Naruto. You already have a crush on the girl and you've only seen her what, twice?"

"I don't-"

"Yes you do," Konohamaru interjected. "I can read it off your face every time you say her name. And you know that falling in love with someone who you are supposed to rob or murder isn't a good thing, right?"

"Of course I know that."

"Not to mention how Sakura would feel if she found out."

"Don't drag Sakura into this," Naruto snapped. "She doesn't deserve any of that misery."

"Exactly," Konohamaru said. "That's why tomorrow after training and everything you're getting lessons from me. You'll learn how to keep a professional distance from that chick so you won't end up getting yourself into trouble."

"Sure, that's actually a very good idea," Naruto admitted. "Just for the record though, this isn't because you are hot for my girlfriend, right?"

"W-What?" Konohamaru stammered. "Not at all. This is to protect you from your own stupidity."

Naruto laughed. "See, this is why I wanted you to join us." He ruffled Konohamaru's hair and knocked his goggles askew. "You're like a little me. It's almost cute."

"Call me cute again and I'll rip out your tongue."

"See? Just like me."

* * *

Sakura wished him the best of luck with his new job before she departed for her mother's. She didn't bring up Hinata again and for that Naruto was glad. He had to sort out his own thoughts on the matter before anything else.

When Sakura was gone he fixed himself a quick dinner, dipping into his savings underneath the kitchen floor. It wasn't his style to use that particular sum for things around the house, but he had been having some good days as of late and he thought that he deserved it. He only took out a fifty, though. The rest of it he was saving up to one day drop from the grid. He'd live his life in seclusion and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

After dinner he headed to Konoha Park to meet his apprentice. The idea was laughable; him, a teacher. That was supposed to be Kakashi's job. It couldn't be helped though. Naruto was the only one qualified to show Konohamaru the ropes.

Naruto wandered around the green without giving it much thought. The days were getting shorter with the winter approaching and dusk was settling around him when he plopped himself down on a bench to wait for his student to arrive. It never occurred to him that it was this bench upon which he had found Hinata.

Konohamaru appeared only a few minutes later. He was excited to get started, it seemed. That was okay. Naruto would beat that out of him soon enough.

"So what are we going to do?" Konohamaru inquired. "Are we gonna rob a bank? Kill a virgin?"

"There would be no sense in killing you."

"Shut it, you ass," Konohamaru barked. "Just tell me what the training is about."

"Ugh, fine," Naruto said. "It's really easy. Just try to attack me."

"Attack you?" Konohamaru parroted. "Why?"

"Because like I said yesterday, this is a dangerous job. The first thing you should learn is how to defend yourself."

"Okay, that sounds fair," Konohamaru said. "So I just try to hit you or something?"

"Or something. I guess that is the best way for me to teach you, because I'm not very good of thinking up lessons. I'll just explain as we go along. Whenever you're ready."

And 'whenever' was now. Konohamaru charged Naruto head on, uttering a war cry that reminded Naruto of Gaara in one of his killing frenzies. It wasn't a very smart move. Naruto sidestepped the boy with relative ease and flicked him in the back of the head with a finger.

Konohamaru turned around with a hiss of pain. "Damn it!" he cursed.

"Lesson one," Naruto said, subconsciously mimicking the tone of voice that Kakashi had employed during his years as a teacher. "Never attack without thinking. It'll leave you wide open for a counterattack."

Konohamaru processed this information before attempting a second assault. This time he made himself much less broad, something that Naruto was happy to note. He was, however, forgetting something else.

"Lesson two," Naruto continued, slapping the fist away that was on trajectory to his face. "Situational awareness." He caught the second fist and pulled Konohamaru forward. Naruto made half a turn, allowing the boy's shins to bash into his own ankles. Konohamaru lost his footing and Naruto encouraged this by planting the sole of his foot in the small of the other's back. Konomaru went flying right into the pond.

Naruto laughed for all he was worth as Konohamaru emerged, dripping wet and his hair stuck to his face like sea weed. Naruto muttered something that resembled an apology, but he didn't mean a word of it. His student understood this very well.

"Stop laughing, bastard," he growled. "Look at me, I'm soaked."

"That won't happen next time if you keep up with your studies. Lesson two is one of the most important ones. When you are running away from the police you need to use any means necessary to get away. Sometimes that means climbing buildings or high walls or jumping into ponds to avoid being seen."

Despite the fact that there was something valuable to be learned, Konohamaru was still sour. He did get more cautious though. He was learning.

This time Konohamaru feinted left but went for right. Naruto blocked his punches without really trying. Perhaps Konohamaru needed some strength training as well.

That particular thought was immediately disproven when Konohamaru dropped his body to the floor like a bag of salt, only to snap up at the last second. His foot made full contact with Naruto's sternum, who went flying. He tumbled onto his back in the grass, a hand on his chest and not a breath of air in his lungs.

"Perfect," Naruto said when he could crawl back up again. He wiped the residual drivel that Konohamaru had knocked out of him from his chin. His eyes dilated just the smallest bit when he noticed a smear of blood between the saliva.

"Try again," Naruto ordered. "This is a fight for your life, remember? Neither of us have any weapons, so all we can do is beat each other to death. Do you think you can deal with that?"

Konohamaru said nothing but slid into a fighting stance. Naruto did the same and smiled. He was starting to enjoy himself. He hoped the same went for Konohamaru. The boy looked worse for wear, but Naruto did not see any desire to stop in his eyes.

The younger boy attacked again, taking all his lessons into consideration and making Naruto glow with pride. The kid really was a genius. If trained the right way he would be able to carry the Demon Fox Gang on his own. But not until school was out.

Naruto took the blow and felt Konohamaru's fist connect with his clavicle. It slid across his skin and past his neck. Naruto's hands closed around Konohamaru's lower arm and pulled him in like he had done before, only this time he bent the arm and locked it at an angle, forcing Konohamaru with his back to him.

"Lesson number three," Naruto whispered to him. With his free hand he pulled his switchblade out of his pocket. A simple click of the button on the side greeted Konohamaru with steel polished to a gleam. Had they been serious, Konohamaru would have been able to see the look in his own eyes as Naruto slit his throat open. Only they weren't serious. So Naruto laid the sharp side of the blade on Konohamaru's jawbone, pressing down until he had drawn blood. It trickled over his own hand and turned Konohamaru's face into a map of crimson fingerprints.

"N-Naruto, Wh-"

"Lesson number three," Naruto repeated. "Never. Ever. Trust your enemy." he released Konohamaru, who turned to stare at him in mild horror. His fingers grazed the new wound in his face and he hissed, but he held firm. It was a beautiful sight.

"Next time I'll even you out," Naruto said, tapping his knife against his jaw, indicating that he would go for Konohamaru's uinscatched side with his next mistake. Konohamaru gulped, but took on his fighting stance once more.

"Oi, Naruto!"

Both boys turned their heads to locate the voice. Kakashi was strolling towards them at his leisure, a hand parked into a pocket as always and that usual expression of boredom in his eyes.

"Kakashi," Naruto returned the greeting. "Glad you could make it."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto," Kakashi said. "He's still young after all."

"So was I," Naruto quipped. "Besides, he want this too. He told me so."

"Eh, Kakashi?" Konohamaru piped up. "Mind me asking why you are here?"

"Not at all," Kakashi replied. "I'm just stopping by to look at the new recruit."

"So you are..."

"Kakashi is the other founding member," Naruto told him. "I told him that I wanted to drag you into this. He didn't really agree with me but he promised he would come and watch you fight me at least."

"So how is he doing?" Kakashi asked.

"Not too bad," Naruto answered. He lifted the jacket of his tracksuit and the shirt beneath it. The middle of his chest was one giant red spot and would turn into a bruise in the following days. Breathing hurt.

"Oh, wow," Kakashi remarked. "Not even Lee could do that."

"But Lee is a moron."

"I might be good, but not as good as Naruto," Konohamaru said, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture that Naruto could swear was his own. "Still, thanks for the compliment. I tried really hard, ya know."

 _Ya know. Also one of my traits. Though I only say that when I get really excited._

"I can tell," Kakashi told the boy. "Naruto played a dirty trick on you, I see." He pointed at Konohamaru's still bleeding face.

"It was dirty, yes, but he also taught me a lot of things already."

"I'm happy to hear that," Kakashi said and smiled. "So will you be joining us?"

"Sure!"

"About that," Naruto interjected. "Do we have any small jobs lying around? I want Konohamaru to learn in the field as well."

"Depends on what you want. I got theft, murder, extortion, assault and arson ready and waiting."

Naruto turned to Konohamaru. "You make the call."

The boy thought this over hard. Naruto already had an inkling of an idea what he might choose. It wouldn't be murder, assault or extortion.

"Arson." Was the eventual answer.

Kakashi inclined his head. "Very well. I'll give you the specifics on Wednesday. Until then you should keep training with Naruto, understand?"

"Yes sir!"

"The name's Kakashi."

"Yes, Kakashi!"

"So what is your plan now?" Naruto's companion asked. "Are you just going to continue beating the hell out of the boy until morning?"

"Nope, that's what the weekend is for. I actually wanted to introduce him to some of the other members. After that it is an early night cause we have to get up at six in the morning."

"Six in the morning?" Konohamaru exclaimed, offended by the mere implication. "Why on earth would we do that?'

"We're going out for a morning jog with my friend Kiba. You need to build up speed too and this is a good way to start."

"You've gotta be kidding me."

"Nope."

Konohamaru cursed under his breath. "I'll get you for this one day, Naruto."

"Oh, shut up, you know you love me."

* * *

Naruto's new job officially began on the Monday after he had beaten Konohamaru to a bloody pulp. The weekend had gone by without him taking notice of it; most of his hours were filled with either redecorating Konohamaru's facial structure or taking lessons from the boy in how to behave like a gentleman.

That was something he hadn't sought behind the kid, though it was far from surprising. Konohamaru had been dragged to social gatherings and fancy dinners his whole life, so it was only natural that he could act the part.

Naruto's first lesson had been in remaining formal at all times. Even in the presence of a girl so beautiful that she robbed him of conscious thought. As they moved through the hours Naruto began to understand the intention. If he put up a front of professionalism Hinata wouldn't think about viewing him as a peer. There would be no necessity to steer any conversation in a wrong direction. And with this roadblock out of the way he could put his full focus on stealing the Dagger.

He was facing the Hyuuga Mansion now and he was about to venture inside to start his first day of work. He had opted to run instead of taking the bus or walking. He liked that he was still able to stick to a sense of routine. This week he would still be on a nine-to-five schedule but he expected to be brought in for night shifts very soon.

His attire was far from what he was used to. Unfortunately for him the Hyuugas had an image that they were forced to live up to. This meant that Naruto had hoisted himself into a new suit, one that he had bought and fitted a week prior. A bowtie was fastened around his throat and he prayed to the heavens that no one would notice it was a clip-on. He couldn't knot a tie for the life of him. He had also been forced to fasten the top button of his blouse to hide a nasty bruise; Konohamaru had left it there after nearly strangling Naruto with a chokehold.

One of Hiashi's many maids let him inside the mansion and told him to go to Hinata's room, but to knock. He was her subordinate now and he would have to report to his new boss at the start of each day. This eased Naruto because this meant that he wouldn't be dealing with Hiashi too much. He liked the man well enough, but he didn't hold a soft spot in his heart for anyone who was too business-like. That was also why Naruto had never liked Neji.

Naruto knew the way to Hinata's room. When he walked down the hallway leading up to it he saw that the vase that Gaara had shattered had been replaced by a bust of Taguya, one of the many gods revered throughout the world. There were still bloodstains in the carpet, whether they were from Left or Right Naruto wouldn't know. Everything around him simply screamed 'Gaara'.

He only got to thinking after he had already knocked on Hinata's door. He had to remind himself that he was here on a mission and only a mission. He was deceiving the girl who was about to open the door. He was fooling her entire family into believing that he was a good guy with concerns over her wellbeing. And once the illusion had taken shape he would destroy it.

There was no room for error. Like Konohamaru had said, it would be stupid to fall in love with the girl he was supposed to rob. And he had been right in dragging Sakura into the discussion. Naruto still had a commitment to his partner and trying anything with Hinata would be cheating, simple as that. He might have some warped views on morality, but they were still his own and he would stand by them without question. He would never go back on his word.

So that was it, plain and simple. He would keep a safe distance from Hinata and he would do everything in his power to not let his infatuation get the best of him. That wouldn't be too much of a chore, because as he had already concluded his feelings for Hinata were nothing but a superficial version of love. It held no meaning. And he refused to throw the semblance of a life that he had managed to build up with Sakura by his side out the window.

He would stay strong.

Or not.

The door opened and Hinata revealed herself. All of those securities that Naruto had been pushing onto himself like a mantra slid off. He could only stand there, feeling lost. Whenever Hinata was in his line of sight it was as if Sakura had never existed.

"Hey, Naruto!" Hinata chimed. "I'm happy to see that the job prospects didn't scare you off."

A version of himself that he didn't know existed rose to the surface. This version of Naruto was very confident, perhaps even inflicted with a little touch of arrogance. This Naruto dared to joke with anyone, not just close friends. This Naruto dared flatter the girl in front of him with compliments. In her presence he wanted to seem his best. He wanted to impress her. And why? He knew that perfectly fucking well, thank you very much.

"Miss Hinata," Naruto said, taking her outstretched hand and kissing it. "Of course I won't let danger get in the way of a good job. I'm so very happy that you hired me, Miss."

She smiled at him and took her hand back. A mild tinge of crimson rose to her cheeks and it stood in stark contrast with her pale complexion. A smirk tugged at his lips. Good, so he had somewhat of a game on.

"Please, drop the 'Miss'," Hinata told him. "I hate it when people call me that."

"I'm just trying to live up to Mr. Hiashi's standard of courtesy."

"Well don't, it makes you boring."

Once again Naruto was struck by her confidence. It was so unlike the first impression that he had gotten of her the night he had found her on the bench. The only reason he could think of this difference existing was that she was actually very shy, maybe even so much that she didn't dare speak to a random stranger. Maybe she could only be herself when she was home.

"Very well, I will call you Hinata from now on. Is there anything that I can help you with?"

Hinata nodded and beckoned him inside the room. He gulped a little, not feeling comfortable in this position, but he followed her anyway. Her room was quite simple; it didn't have as many decorations tossed inside as the rest of the house. The walls were of a lavender that almost matched her eyes and a giant dreamcatcher had been suspended from the ceiling in the middle of the room. A vase stood on an end table by her bed and Naruto was caught off guard when he saw the amaryllises he had given her nod up and down in the draft.

Hinata pointed at the folding screen on the other end of the room. "I'm going to get dressed now," she said. "After that I would like to go to the market near here. My father won't let me out without my security though, so you'll have to come along."

Naruto inclined his head in understanding and Hinata stepped behind the screen. Naruto posed her a question as she began to pull on her outfit for the day.

"Eh, Hinata, weren't there supposed to be three of me? Security guys, I mean."

"That was what my father wanted, yes," Hinata confirmed. "He even mentioned hiring five men before. But I told him that I would prefer it to only have one. We reached an impasse, so now he wants three."

"And where are the other two?"

Hinata giggled and Naruto was glad that she couldn't see his face shift colours. "That was Father's own mistake. He gave me permission to select only the applicants that I feel comfortable around. You were the only one that passed."

This was good news in so many ways that Naruto didn't even know what the revel in first. For starters it meant that there was less security than he had originally anticipated. That also meant that, as long as he was careful about who to put forward, he could try and get some more Gang members into the Hyuuga security team. And most of all he was happy because there would be no chance of lewd guys hanging around Hinata. He had almost throttled Konohamaru once for calling her hot, so he couldn't begin to imagine what he would do if someone said something that went beyond that. He would definitely break his promise to Neji, that much was for sure.

 _Good, good. So no perverts around. That eases things. I wouldn't like them hanging around here, saying nasty things about such beautiful girl. She's much too sweet to be spoken about like that..._

It was then that he realized his own dangerous train of thought. He cut it off without further ado; he was breaking his own rules already. Hinata was off limits. There was no reason to put up this show and make himself seem tougher than he actually was.

Yet the words that came out of his mouth were: "Oh, that won't be too much of a bother. You already have the strongest guy right here." Even though she couldn't see him he jotted at his chest with a thumb.

She giggled again and now his insides were liquid. Ten minutes into his first day on the job and he was already facing one of his trademarked identity crises. Of course that was how it had to go.

"Well then, 'strongest guy'," Hinata's voice came from behind the folding screen. "You better be on your toes, because I will be watching you like a hawk."

"Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?"

"Maybe," she replied. "but I've been bored for a while and I need something to do."

This was starting to become a recurring theme in Naruto's life, it seemed. He was bored, Kakashi was bored, Konohamaru was bored. And now Hinata was bored too.

That bullwhip of a tongue of his spoke again without his consent. "And watching me watching you is a good way to kill the time because...? I'm that much of a looker?'

The was met with silence and for a few seconds he feared that he had seriously overstepped his bounds. But then Hinata appeared from behind the screen, fully dressed and ready to go the market. He _had_ been onto something though, because she was blushing as fiercely as he was.

"How do I look?" She asked, turning on the spot so that he could look at her outfit. She was wearing something casual today, which was surprising. All Naruto had seen her wear thus far had been kimonos and gowns. But now she had pulled on a simple pair of jeans and a shirt with the name of a band on it that Naruto had never heard before. Even when she looked plain she looked amazing.

Naruto answered her as she walked over to her vanity to do some last minute hair styling. "You look great, Hinata. Though I have to say that it is a bit more... pedestrian that I am used to."

He caught her smile in the mirror. "Really? That's great, that was what I was going for."

There was the desire to tell her that she could wrap herself in a roll of carpet and still look stunning, but he almost bit his tongue in two trying to keep the words in. Instead he just watched her style her hair and get ready.

When she was all done he waited for her outside her room. She appeared a few minutes after that and Naruto offered her his arm. It was a dangerous move; Hiashi did not even want him to talk about the little things in life, let alone act as if he were trying to court her. And even so he wanted to do it more than anything else.

Hinata looked a little befuddled at this gallantry, but she hooked her own arm into his with a tiny smile curving her lips. They would walk in this fashion throughout the afternoon.

Naruto took her to the market, where she looked and everything and anything. She barely purchased anything, though, Most of all she got supplies for whatever creative pastime activity she enjoyed doing. They left the market with a bag full of pencils, brushes, coal and so on.

What Naruto would recall as most remarkable was Hinata's presence in public. He had been right in his previous assumption. As soon as they were out of the mansion most of her confidence seemed to evaporate. She was very shy and when she did speak to other people she had a tendency to stutter and make herself inaudible. It pained Naruto to his core to see this.

He mulled all of that over throughout the rest of the day. He kept close to Hinata as the hours progressed and sat in silence to watch her try and draw the lilies that grew at the edges of the pond in the mansion's patio. It occurred to him how sad it was that someone so pretty and sweet could have so little belief in herself.

When Hinata began to fall asleep halfway during the afternoon, Naruto made a decision. One day alone was enough to have it form in his mind and that was quite scary; it was more his style to take his time to lay everything out before doing something. But he had to act.

This was no longer about just the Dagger anymore. Now he felt that it was his duty to help Hinata gain at least a bit of more confidence. It would be a shame to watch her wither away from afar. She didn't deserve to have that happen to her.

And when he shook her to rouse her out of her slumber, those mesmerizing eyes caught hold of his once again, and that was when he just _knew_. If he turned to his thoughts for the future now, all the he could see was Hinata. The feeling was both joyful and gut wrenching.

Sakura would be back from her mother's house two days from now. He would end things with her the following day. It just wasn't fair to her anymore. It never would be. She just couldn't compete. He felt like a bastard for allowing his feelings to sway so easily, and even more for trying to rid himself of that sensation by telling himself that no, he hadn't gone back on his word. He had made no such promises to Sakura. She had told him not to do something and he had grinned like an idiot.

 _Sure Naruto, that'll make it all better. The words you didn't say._

Naruto did not sleep well that night. He ignored the calls from Kakashi and Konohamaru and dropped himself onto his mattress as soon as he got home, but he would end up tossing and turning for hours.

That's where your morals and values got you. Sleepless nights.


	5. Tears of the cherry blossom

**Hey! Chapter 5 is here and it is a big one! And a lot happens in this one, so buckle up! Have at you!**

 **For the absolute sweetheart of an anonymous reviewer, I know that you stopped reading this right after the first chapter, but seeing how you interpreted my Sakura made me think about how others might view her. SO! If anyone is interested, at the bottom of this chapter you can find an assortment of my thoughts regarding the Sakura in this story.**

 **Now please read, review and enjoy!**

* * *

Life had crashed and burned.

Naruto had always called himself prone to having an existential crisis once every two years or so. Most of the times he meant it as a joke, a very self-depricating joke that he would laugh at while ignoring how true the statement actually was. Only this time it wasn't funny. This time it dragged him through hell and back.

It had only taken two meetings with Hinata to rouse feelings inside of him that he had thought long dead. He had owned up to these sensations quickly; ignoring them would only amplify them and put him in predicaments. Only that hadn't been enough. Admitting to himself that he had a crush on the girl had only served to make said infatuation grow. On his first day of work he had forgotten about the Dagger altogether; he had instead spent the day observing Hinata wherever she went, actually doing the job that the Hyuugas paid him to do. He didn't want to let her out of his sight. Whether that was because he didn't want anything to happen to her or because watching her was just so hypnotizing, he didn't know. Probably both.

Of course Kakashi had been furious. Naruto had ignored the man's constant calls after his first day because everything that had happened had warped Naruto's mind, had made him confused. He had awoken the next day to find ten missing calls from Kakashi and three from Konohamaru. Naruto had dialled the man's number with sleep still fresh in his eyes.

Kakashi had listened to his excuse, a simple enough story where he claimed that he had to show his worth to the Hyuugas first before he could do anything that would further their chances towards stealing the Dagger. Because Kakashi always sounded either bored or indifferent it was hard to guess if he believed Naruto, but truth to be told, Naruto didn't care. He was a legal adult these days and he was capable of making his own decisions. And he had chosen to ignore his duties to the Gang that day on his own accord.

If Naruto were honest with himself he would have to say that the Dagger was the furthest thing from his mind right now. Personal matters had taken over his thoughts. Sakura and Hinata. Both girls were swirling in the vortex that was his mind, both of them fighting to earn the spotlight.

One thing was for certain though: His relationship with Sakura was over. His first whole day in Hinata's presence had convinced him of that. As soon as he had been forced to admit to himself that Hinata would turn out to be more than just a passing infatuation, Naruto had seen no other alternative than letting Sakura go. The steps they had been taking to grow close once more had been destroyed in the span of a single day. And to let Sakura believe that there was still a chance that they could work out would be utterly unfair. She shouldn't be competing when there was no contest.

The two days after the first weren't any easier. Naruto had felt the constant need to keep Hinata close and not because he was her bodyguard on paper. Hinata was so fragile and sweet. She was so very opposite of him and perhaps that was what made her so attractive. Naruto had gone about his job and had accompanied Hinata to wherever she wanted to go. He had been her shadow around the Mansion as well. Wherever she went, he went too. And it made him feel good, keeping her safe like that.

Naruto had already made a promise to himself to try and be more than a bodyguard to Hinata. He did not have to be a friend or a lovr. If anything, he considered himself a teacher on this situation. Not only would he protect her with his life, but he would also do everything in his power to let Hinata blossom. It was a pity to see a girl so nice and so pretty with so little confidence. That just couldn't be.

So he had done his best to boost her ego whenever an opportunity arose. Hinata loved to draw and paint. While she herself claimed that she was only just starting out, Naruto complimented her on everything that she made, even if she only drew a straight line across a piece of paper. She would blush every time and thank him, but he could see in her eyes that she didn't believe him, or at least not yet.

He would also tell her that she looked good; it was the first thing to come out of his mouth every day. At these words they would both turn a bright scarlet and a spark of something that Naruto couldn't name would travel between them, seemingly trying to pull them closer. Naruto resisted though; even if he would ever give himself permission to try anything with Hinata he would first have to cut things off with Sakura. He might be a thief and even a murderer, but he was still no cheater.

Strange morals to have?

Probably.

If anything, two extra days by Hinata's side had cemented his feelings for her. Saying that she was nothing more than a crush would be an outright lie. Naruto had silently observed her as she had gone about her house, speaking with the staff or with relatives. There wasn't a shred of evil in the girl and she treated everyone with respect. She was a rarity and that made the attraction even worse.

All in all, he was a confused mess. Back to basics then.

At the end of his third day Naruto came home just after six. The sun had already made the hills its grave and his apartment was dark when he entered it. After shedding some light around the place Naruto dropped himself down on his couch, sighing as he undid the bowtie around his throat. It was still the fucking clip-on.

A glance at his phone told him that Kakashi had tried to reach him so Naruto called back right away, thinking it best to get it over with as soon as possible. The man wanted to know if Naruto had been able to get anything at all done, even if it were only catching a glimpse of where the Dagger had actually been put. Naruto told him that he had no idea yet, but that he had taken photos of the work schedules of every employee at the Hyuuga Mansion. This seemed to put Kakashi at ease for the time being and Naruto hung up on him after not even two minutes of conversation. Keeping up with Gang activity wasn't high on his list of priorities.

The only aspect of the Gang that he did invest his time in was his training of Konohamaru. The boy arrived at Naruto's place some time after seven. Naruto let him in and Konohamaru began to bounce through his living room as soon as he had put a foot over the threshold. Naruto couldn't blame him; he himself had already laid out a set of black clothing for tonight. When the clock struck midnight they would depart for Konohamaru's first ever mission for the Demon Fox Gang.

Naruto briefed him on the situation as soon as Konohamaru had settled down.

"So are you ready?" he felt inclined to ask.

"Definitely," Konohamaru replied, cracking an infectious grin. "I was born ready!"

"I doubt that," Naruto said, shaking his head. "Anyway, Kakashi sent me the mission details yesterday, so I'll explain it as quick as I can. It should be easy enough to pull off."

Naruto took out his phone and used the search engine to look up a photo, which he showed to Konohamaru.

"A tree?" the boy asked, confusion etched across his face.

"Not just any tree," Naruto said. "This tree is called the Original. It's supposed to be over six hundred years old and it's the oldest tree in all of Konoha."

"And we have to set it on fire?"

"That about covers it."

"And how will we do that?"

Naruto sighed. "Geez, Konohamaru. Didn't you ever play with matches when you were a kid?"

Konohamaru rolled his eyes. "I know how to start a fire, man. I mean how are we gonna do that and get away with it?"

Naruto showed him the black clothing that he would wear that evening, as well as a set for Konohamaru.

"You seem to be about my size. we'll wear these to keep visibility as low as possible. We just go over there, light the thing up and get the hell out. Any questions?"

"Yeah," Konohamaru said, lifting a hand up in the air as if he were in a classroom. "What if anyone sees us?"

'We're planning to avoid that," Naruto pointed out. "but in that case we can either split and hope for the best or we have to take measures to make sure that no one will ever find out. Do you remember our lesson from yesterday?"

After beating Konohamaru's lights out for several days in a row Naruto had concluded that the boy was capable of fending for himself. Right now Konohamaru's face was a map of cuts and bruises; his upper lip was swollen and one of his eyes was black and turning on yellow. Naruto himself was sore all over as well, but he had taken extra caution to keep his face out of harm's way; it would do no good for Hinata to have a bodyguard who got himself beaten up outside of working hours.

Now that the first part of their training was over with, Naruto had enlisted the help of one of his good friends to carry on with the next lesson. Gaara had been happy to help. The first meeting between the boy and the Moon worshipper had reduced Naruto to tears of laughter. Gaara had shown up at his apartment with a briefcase clutched in one hand, an image that was hilarious all on its own. Konohamaru had looked at this new arrival with caution, not liking the way Gaara's eyes expressed his insanity. When Naruto explained to him that Gaara would teach him the second stage of self defense Konohamaru had lifted his eyebrows, as if he didn't understand how this crazy person could help him keep from dying.

When Gaara had opened his briefcase the laughing fits started. Gaara had pulled out an anatomically correct dummy of the human body, the same one that stood in every biology classroom around the world. The next two hours had been dedicated to teaching Konohamaru all the vital spots to hit if he ever got in a situation where he would have to fight for his life. Konohamaru had listened in growing mesmerized horror as Gaara detailed all the reactions that would ensue should he stab or shoot or hit or kick someone at these vital areas. Naruto thought he had heard the boy hold back his dinner when Gaara recalled a particular instance where it had taken him several days to get brain matter off his jeans.

Back in the present day Konohamaru confirmed his knowledge of this lesson.

"Good,"Naruto said. "I don't think anything will really come up, but it might come to blows, so be prepared."

Konohamaru nodded at this, though he seemed reluctant to actually consider the possibility. Naruto could understand that; taking his first life had messed him up good. But should Konohamaru ever be forced to do the same, Naruto believed that the end result would be much the same as with himself. It was scary how easy it was to push the guilt of it away. Logical reasoning could make everything seem okay.

With the mission briefing over there wasn't a whole lot more to do that watch television and talk. Konohamaru was curious about Naruto's new job, not only because it tied in to the Gang. Naruto would rather not hear these questions, but when they got the ball rolling he ended up confiding in the boy. He'd tell himself that he didn't know why, but that was a lie of epic proportions. The reasoning was simple enough. Konohamaru was just like him and was becoming more so every day. This recognition made him, in Naruto's eyes, trustworthy.

"So how's that Hinata girl?" Konohamaru asked halfway through the night. It was obvious that he had done his best to keep the question to himself, but couldn't.

Naruto did not reply right away. First he debated with himself whether or not he should be honest. When he couldn't find a reason not to he simply stated the truth.

"Amazing," he said. A smile spread across his face without his knowledge.

"Oooh, not good," Konohamaru said. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and shook his head. "Definitely not good."

"What's not good."

"You being in love with Hinata, of course." Konohamaru told him this as if he were talking about tomorrow's weather forecast. "You need to sort that mess out and quick, or else you won't have a girlfriend at all."

That made Naruto sigh. "I know," he said, reaching for the coffee table and grabbing himself a can of energy drink. He didn't speak again until he had drained over half of it, belching loudly and patting his stomach. "I probably won't have a girlfriend starting tomorrow."

Konohamaru's eyes went wide. "Are you gonna ditch Sakura?"

"I'm not going to _'_ ditch her'," Naruto corrected him. "I'm going to be honest with her. Or at least as much as I can. It just won't be fair to her if I get feelings for someone else, ya know?"

"Absolutely not," Konohamaru agreed. "It's a dick move, alright. So I'm not coming over tomorrow?"

"Better not, unless you want to see Sakura crying."

"Yeah I'm gonna pass," Konohamaru said. "Sucks though, I really liked Sakura."

"I know you did," Naruto told him, grinning. "You little pervert."

Konohamaru squinted at him. "That's not what I meant."

"Nah, of course it wasn't."

"I'm being serious!"

"Sure." Naruto drank the rest of his drink and crushed the can in his fist. "Anyway, so no hard feelings for dumping your dream girl?"

"Maybe a little," Konohamaru said, then laughed. "Just promise me you'll be more of a gentleman with Hinata. I didn't give you those lessons for nothing."

"Who says that I'm going to try anything with Hinata?"

"As if you would be able to resist her."

"I love how low your expectations of me are."

"That's your own fault," Konohamaru pointed out. "Besides, you're already head over heels for the girl, so you might as well take your best shot."

"I would if I could. It's just that there is something that I need to steal. And there is no way in hell that I can ever show my face there again after we pull of our heist."

"That's true, but no one is forcing you to do this."

That silenced Naruto. He wanted to reply that he had his duties to the Gang, but that just wasn't the truth. Every member of the Gang had the possibility of stepping out whenever they wished under the pretense that they kept a vow of silence regarding the Demon Foxes. If Naruto told Kakashi that he did not want to do the job anymore right now, that would be the end of it. And Kakashi wasn't one to hold a grudge either, so Naruto would be able to retire in peace and quiet.

Only that wasn't him. He needed some form of excitement in his life to give it meaning. He only truly felt alive when his heart was pounding in his throat and the edges of his vision were swimming with lack of oxygen.

Backing out was not an option. As long as there wasn't anything else to catch his interest he would have to stay on his current course.

"Maybe you're right," Naruto said. "but life would be so boring without some fun from time to time, right?"

Konohamaru shook his head. "You're such an idiot, Naruto. If I were you I would have grabbed the girl and never looked back. But hey, you're allowed to make your own stupid decisions."

Naruto couldn't help but sigh. "When did you turn out to be such a smartass?"

* * *

The Original. A tree so ancient that it existed even before the first brick of the first house in Konoha had been placed. It was a monument and it deserved the title.

Naruto and Konohamaru reached it just after one in the morning. Both boys looked up at the giant, which seemed to loom hundreds of feet above them, branches shooting out like a banshee's fingers. A thick and lush canopy still swayed in the wind despite the coming of winter. The tree stood in a bare field in the middle of a residential area. They would have to be quick about it; people would be apt to turn up as soon as the first flames began to yearn for the sky.

"Wow, it's big," Konohamaru said. "It makes me wonder what it will look like on fire."

"Well you're about to find out," Naruto said. He dropped his backpack from his shoulders and opened it to retrieve the three bottles of lighter fluid that they had bought the day before.

"Why would anyone want to burn it down?" Konohamaru asked.

Naruto handed the boy a bottle and instructed him to douse the foot of the tree with it. Meanwhile he explained the reason behind the mission.

"You know the cult Gaara belongs to, right?"

"The Children of the Moon?"

"That's the one. Well there are a few of them in Konoha and they seem to feel that the Original is a spit in the face to their religion. This tree is also a landmark for the worpshippers of the goddess Kaguya."

"So we're burning it down because some religous nuts think it's ugly?"

"Basically, yeah."

"Huh." And that was all that needed to be said. The two of them continued bathing the Original in lighter fluid until almost nothing remained. Naruto was just finishing tossing the last drops against the trunk when someone yelled at them from behind.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

Naruto glanced over his shoulder and saw a middle aged man staggering their way. His face was a crater of scars and blemished patches. Dark circles around his eyes betrayed a perpetual lack of sleep. His clothes were ragged and filthy. You didn't have to be a genius to figure out the guy was a homeless drug addict.

A pull at the mask over his face confirmed to Naruto that he wouldn't be recognized. Konohamaru also had his features shielded, so when the boy turned to him with a scared look in his eyes Naruto simply nodded. There was no need to call off the mission. They wouldn't be caught.

"I said what the fuck do you think you're doing?" The man shouted again. His pace increased and soon he was beside the two arsonists. "I sleep here, thank you very much!" He explained, making big gestures towards the tree. It was only then that he sniffed at the air and understood what the two black figures in front of him were planning on.

"No!" the man yelled, throwing his arms out wide to shield the tree from harm. "All of my stuff is in there. I won't let you. I'll fight you if I have to."

Once again Konohamaru's eyes found his and Naruto did his best to convey his own relaxation with nothing but his gaze. Konohamaru picked up on this for the most part, which was a good thing. If he lost his cool it could turn out very ugly.

Naruto took a step forward, prompting the homeless man to take one in the opposite direction. He was almost pinned to the tree by now.

"Please step aside," Naruto told him. "We have no business with you."

"The hell you do," the man quipped. "As long as you're planning to take down this tree, I have no choice but to protect it."

Naruto shook his head and sighed. "As you wish." He then turned to Konohamaru, who understood right away. Naruto nodded and his student dashed forward, running at the man with surprising speed.

The man held his footing and braced himself for the collision. Konohamaru threw his weight behind his shoulder and charged into the guy, hitting him in the sternum and making him wobble on his feet. He had a lot more flesh on his bones than the boy though, so he was able to maintain his balance and prepare for the next assault.

Konohamaru attacked again, this time acting as if he were going for another head-on confrontation. When the man threw up his hands to keep a fist from smashing his nose in, Konohamaru flanked him and drove his knee into the back of the man's leg. He crumpled up like a paper ball, shins hitting the dirt and elbows pistoning out the catch the rest of the fall.

Naruto only observed. It was much the same as what Gaara had done to him. He _could_ choose to help Konohamaru out, but that would defeat the purpose of all the training they had been doing for the past week. Besides, the boy could handle this on his own. The worst that could happen to him was breaking a bone or two.

The homeless man scrambled back to his feet and managed to dodge two punches coming his way with a sense of agility that caught Naruto off guard. After this he seemed to find it necessary to go on the offensive. He swung his arms at Konohamaru in wide arcs, missing every hit, but not giving up. After some time he even appeared to get the hang of it, finding a steady rhythm at which to throw a punch or a kick that would never connect.

Konohamaru was playing with him. Not strange, considering how he had gotten his ass handed to him five days in a row. He was probably just trying out some moves that he had picked up in the meantime. This went on for a little while until Konohamaru grew bored. What he did then impressed Naruto more than he could say. If he ever told it to Gaara Konohamaru could expect a gift basket in the mail the following day.

Both of the man's fists flew at Konohamaru's face with less than half a second between them. Konohamaru caught each arm by the wrist and crossed them over each other, locking them and preventing the man from making any additional moves.

"Let go of me!" the man yelled, struggling to break free from Konohamaru's crushing grip. He grimaced when the boy put more pressure on the bone, grinding the two wrists together and creating a horrible gnashing sound. When the man realized that Konohamaru would not be letting go he reduced himself to frightened whimpers.

This was likely a good position for Konohamaru to be in, at least when the Gang was concerned. If the boy really wished to join them on their endeavours, blunting his conscience was a necessity. And there weren't a lot of better ways to achieve this than staring down a man pleading for his wellbeing and denying it to him.

Konohamaru sought Naruto out with his eyes again. In time he would learn to act on his own accord, but for now he desired the confirmation from his role model. Naruto nodded at him.

The kid was merciless. He took the man's left wrist and added enough pressure to close off any blood circulation to the hand. And just as the man began to scream, Konohamaru twisted his right hand by half a turn.

A snap resounded through the night. Screams followed.

The homeless man pushed his longues to their limits as he gave voice to his agony. Konohamaru released him and his left arm fell to his side, now useless. The man stumbled on his feet for several seconds, then dropped to his knees. Only then he did something that jeopardized their entire mission. On his way down he robbed Konohamaru of his ski mask, revealing his face to the man whose wrist he had just broken like a bit of tinder.

Naruto cursed under his breath and Konohamaru did so out loud. The man slumped down to the ground when not even his knees could keep him upright any longer. He curled up into a ball and pressed his wrist against his chest, rocking back and forth, mewling like a young child. The sudden reveal had rendered Konohamaru immobile for several moments. Any action had befallen him.

Still, they had to do something and they would have to do it fast. Naruto stepped up to Konohamaru and nudged him in his ribs to remind him that they were still on a mission. The boy shook himself out of his stupor and turned to his teacher.

"What do we do?" He whispered in mild panic.

"Well first we have to get this tree going," Naruto said. "And we have to do it quick. There's no way that no one is going to hear this guy scream if he keeps going like that."

Konohamaru nodded and fished around in his pocket. His fingers shook when he found the box of matches and took one out. The boy deserved bonus points for his nerves of steel, though. After taking a deep breath he regained most of his composure and struck the match in a quick movement. The sulphurous end caught fire in an instant. Konohamaru tossed it at the tree and in the span of less than ten seconds the entire base of the Original was a flaming hell.

Both of the boys looked at the fire for a little while, the light of the flames reflected from their irises and turning their eyes into diamonds in darkness. Then it was time to make an important decision.

"What do we do with him?" Konohamaru asked, gesturing at the man who was now reduced to a crying mess.

"That's up to you," Naruto said. "He saw your face, so there's a chance that he will rat you out. You can take your chances or..."

"Or what?"

"Or you could erase the problem altogether."

Konohamaru looked at him with eyes the size of dinner plates. His questions had only been a means to figure out whether ot not there was an alternative to the only thing that registered as a solution in his mind. Sadly, that was not an option. If he really wanted to be certain of his secret there was only on thing he could do.

Naruto handed him his switchblade. Konohamaru's grip was firm as he took it.

"Your call," Naruto reminded him.

It took Konohamaru a long time to decide. It wasn't strange. He quite literally held the life of another human being in his hands. Naruto gave him the time that he needed, even if they did not have a whole lot of it. Just when he was about to make a break for it Konohamaru moved.

There was no further doubt to be seen in any of his motions. He released the blade from the handle as he sank to his knees, leaning over the man and casting him in shadows. The knife came down and penetrated the man's flesh just below the base of his skull. Konohamaru severed his nerves with a quick flick of his wrist. The man couldn't even scream anymore.

Blood spouted from the wound like a geyser. Konohamaru had sliced right through carotid arteries; two branches of the aorta found deep within the neck. His black pants turned to a pasty maroon. Even Naruto wasn't spared. Some of the droplets got up as far his throat.

The man twitched a few times before his life left him. They were nothing but weak kicks of the legs, but Naruto figured that that particular sight would haunt Konohamaru for perhaps the rest of his life. Every kick tensed the muscles in the body and forced another gout of blood into the air.

Konohamaru stood over the man, the bloodied knife clenched into a tight fist. His face was dripping red, the skin beneath it ashen and pale. But his eyes were alive.

They were gone long before the first sirens could be heard in the distance.

* * *

They spoke very little as they burned the black clothes on the grounds of an abandoned factory, nor as they walked back to Naruto's apartment. The only conversation that passed between them was about Konohamaru's parents and how he had managed to stay out so late on a Wednesday. Konohamaru once again reminded Naruto that his parents didn't care what he did, as long as he had a sense of what money really was and how to handle it responsibly. According to him it was all they knew.

Hearing that was saddening. Naruto thought he could understand how the boy felt. Growing up with absent parents was much the same as growing up without them. Neither of them had gotten any real parental guidance in their lives and they had learned what they needed to learn from life itself, if not from one another.

It was around two in the morning when they arrived at the apartment. Naruto was very much awake. This was almost always the case when he had pulled a job. His heart was pulsing in his temples, every throb sending more of that sweet adrenaline into his veins. He figured that he would watch some television until five o'clock rolled around. After that he would go on an extended morning run. This would give him the chance to see how far word had spread about the Original going up in flames. It was also mental preparation of sorts; Sakura would return from her mother's somewhere during the day while he was off on his bodyguard duties. He wanted to take the time to align his thoughts and think of what he would say to her. Not that any of that would hold up, but at the very least it would make him _feel_ prepared.

Konohamaru walked right past him when he opened the door. Naruto took things at a slower pace, tossing his backpack away in the hall before entering the living room. Once there he found Konohamaru standing in the middle, his eyes glazed over and his mouth a little ajar. He had put his goggles back on his head and with his hair flying in every direction it pleased he looked somewhat like a mental patient.

"You alright, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked. He walked over to the kid and placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him a bit to get him back into the world of the living.

Konohamaru clapped his hands against his cheeks to force himself awake. The blood there had dried and was now raining down in flakes. There were larger smears across his neck and throat.

"Mind if I use your shower?" Konohamaru asked, eyes still distant.

"Not at all."

Konohamaru didn't say anything else as he barged into Naruto's bedroom to get to the bathroom connected to it. Naruto let out a long sigh and sat down on the couch. He could use a proper wash himself. Konohamaru had left things real messy, coating the both of them in rich amounts of blood. After his shower Naruto would have to vacuum too; the last thing he needed was for the girl he was going to dump tomorrow to find the carpet dusted with bloodflakes.

The couch was comfortable and in minutes Naruto could feel the rush of the night draining out of him. He still didn't tire, though, nor would that happen before the next day was at an end. And when tomorrow was finally over he could probably sleep for three days straight.

The clock in the hall ticked and ticked. Naruto did not have much sense of time right now, but after a while it became clear to him that Konohamaru had been in the shower for at least half an hour. A part of him -that semi-adult part- told him that his water bill would be sky high, but he let it slide. Once again the situation was very familiar; after Naruto had been doused in blood for the first time it had taken half a dozen showers to feel clean again.

Even so, maybe it was a good idea to check up on Konohamaru. No one was there to give Naruto moral support on how to cope with death but that didn't mean that the boy had to face the same struggle.

Fear took hold of him when knocked on the bathroom door and received no answer.

"Konohamaru?" Naruto asked, rapping on the door once more. "Konohamaru, are you okay?"

Srill no answer. Slight panic took hold of Naruto. Seeing no other option, he twisted the doorknob. It opened without any resistance. It was unlocked.

A curtain of steam drifted from the open door and obscured Naruto's vision. He waited for it to clear before stepping into the bathroom.

Konohamaru was there alright. The boy had turned on the shower and after that he had sat down in the tub to allow the water to cascade all over him. He had his knees drawn up against his naked form, his hair stuck over his face in a thick, dripping layer. The flow was scalding hot and it had long since turned Konohamaru's back into a giant red patch.

"Hey," Naruto said. Konohamaru did look up at him now. "Are you doing okay?"

"How do you do it?" Konohamaru asked.

"Do what?"

"How do you kill someone and just feel okay like that? I feel horrible. I feel so dirty. I..."

Naruto ignored the boy's confused ramblings as well as his nudity. He sat down on the edge of the tub and remained silent but for a deep sigh. Konohamaru kept his gaze trimmed on him, the desperate need for an answer readable on his face.

"There is no trick to doing it," Naruto said. "You either do it or you don't. It's what comes after that is so hard to deal with."

"I feel sick."

"That feeling will pass eventually," Naruto told him. "You'll probably feel dirty like that for a few more days. Maybe even a few weeks. But it will pass. What may never go away, though, will be the guilt."

Konohamaru immediately shook his head. "I don't feel guilty. I know I had to do it. What is making me feel sick isn't anything stupid like that. I just feel so... strange. Because of me someone will never be able to breathe again. Someone whose blood I just saw wash away into the drain." He gave several powerful scrubs over his arms. "I can feel it sticking to me," he told Naruto. "The blood, I mean, It was gone after a minute but I can still feel how sticky it was."

"I've been there," Naruto agreed. "That will also happen less if you do it more."

The kid gave half a nod at this information, but his mind wasn't truly present. Naruto felt inclined to ask.

"So do you want out now?"

Another shake of the head. "No. Nuh-uh. I may have never felt this sick, but I also never felt this... _alive_."

The most inapproriate thing Naruto could've done then was smile. And he did.

"So I guess you can see the magic."

"Black magic, but yeah."

Naruto chuckled. "Well kid, don't let this get to you too much. I know that sounds strange since you just killed a man, but like I said, those feelings will go away after some time. I just hope that you can own up to them, because I'm gonna want you by my side for every job now."

Konohamaru looked up at him, a twinkle in his eyes that spoke of a strange sort of ecstasy. His corruption process was already underway. Then he leaned his head back against the edge of the tub, water pouring into his hair and soaking away the grime on his scalp. He didn't seem capable of any other action; he was just too numb.

Naruto sighed and then smiled. He reached for the shampoo and went about helping Konohamaru. He did warn the kid that he would have to clean himself up next time; Naruto wasn't his mother. Konohamaru agreed to this with a simple grunt, for once not trying to defend his masculinity.

The whole ordeal ended in a laughing fit on Naruto's end. Just as he aimed the shower head at Konohamaru the absurdity of the situation passed through his mind; if Sakura were to come home right this minute she would find her boyfriend soaping up a naked, underage boy in their bathtub. He wouldn't even have to break up with her anymore.

And just like that he was laughing. Busted by your girlfriend in the gayest possible set-up. If only he had such luck.

* * *

Konohamaru had had the grace to thank him after Naruto had gotten him cleaned up.

"Don't expect me to do it again," Naruto had warned him. He had still been laughing at the thought of Sakura walking in and taking things out of context. Although if he was true to himself he would rather tell her that he was gay than give her the actual reason for that little Christmas card moment.

"I didn't ask you to help me," Konohamaru had pointed out.

"True, but if I didn't you'd've ended up drowning yourself in the tub."

Konohamaru slept on his couch that night. Naruto didn't sleep at all. He watched the morning crawl closer and was there when the sun made its presence known to their part of the world. At five thirty he went out the door for a good and long run after calling Kiba. Said boy told him that he was just thinking the same and that it was a shame that they hadn't been able to line up their schedules for some time now. Naruto agreed to this.

Kiba did not have a whole lot of news worth mentioning. Naruto congratulated him when he heard that Kiba had grown a pair and had asked Ino the coffee girl out on a date. Kiba accepted this show of good faith with a smile, saying that he was supposed to take her out to dinner and a movie the following day. Naruto said that he would be rooting for him. Not a word of a lie, but in the end he just couldn't find it in him to care.

When he got home it was already time to go to work. He let Konohamaru sleep in; the kid had told him that he had the day off today and he was going to need every bit of rest that he could get. Naruto threw on a suit and clipped on his bowtie and was off.

Even with the confrontation of that night in the back of his mind the going was slow that day. He allowed himself some freedom in his feelings for Hinata, even if only to kill some time. After all starting tomorrow he would be, and excuse the phrase, single and ready to mingle. First he would have to figure out how he would work around the obstacle of his duties to the Gang. Truth to be told he didn't really give a damn about the Dagger anymore. He hadn't taken on the job for the money but for the rush. And with the predicament that he was in stealing the Dagger would accomplish nothing more than giving him a sense of guilt. He would be a lousy teacher to go against what he had told Konohamaru the day before; guilt was the real killer.

Hinata was her bubbly, breezy self today and that made it easier for Naruto to lose himself in her. Whenever his mind could take a minute to rest Sakura popped into his thoughts. Images of her crying and asking how it all went wrong. He did not need these pictures haunting him; tonight he would be facing the real deal. So instead of thinking about it he took to talking with Hinata. It wouldn't hurt to get to know her.

He learned that she felt that she only had talent for things that were considered creative: drawing, painting, sometimes poetry. When Naruto asked her what her plans for the future were she grew a fiery red. For a few moments she was that shy thing that he had met in Konoha Park, but when her courage returned to her she confided in him that it was her dream to write a children's book.

"What's so bad about that?" Naruto asked, leaning his chin in his hands and looking out over the sea of green that was the patio. "Does your dad want you to take over the company or something?"

"No, it's not that," Hinata replied, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "I don't want to and neither does my sister Hanabi. Father is fine with that because cousin Neji will take over from him once he retires."

Naruto almost couldn't keep from grinning. That Neji and his ambitions. No wonder he wanted out. A criminal record was kind of a setback if you wanted to be the CEO of one of the world's biggest companies.

"So what's the hold up?"

"I don't know," Hinata said. "I think I'm just not sure if I have it in me."

And so Naruto spent the rest of the day looking through her drawings. He praised every single one of them and he delighted in seeing her face gain more colour with every new compliment. Just before his time was up she put all of her materials away and thanked him.

"No one has ever been so nice to me about my dreams," she said with her eyes glued to her feet.

"Well it's no use to have a dream if you don't believe in yourself."

He left her with that bit of wisdom. Now all that remained was tying up the loose ends. He did not look forward to it.

* * *

Sakura's shoes were in the hallway when he got home. Naruto swallowed hard. There was no getting out of this now. He planned on doing it quickly so they could both leave it behind them. Of course that did not soften the blow; they had been an item for more than three years. Time that they would never get back.

She greeted him with a smile and he did his best to mirror it. He didn't even get a chance to sit down before she began to talk about everything that had happened while she was away. Naruto let her ramble a bit as he searched for the right words to crush her soul with.

She caught on to his silence midway into her story.

"Naruto, is something the matter?" Sakura asked, her eyebrows forming curious arches.

"Sakura... I..." The lump was back in his throat. "I have to talk to you."

"What is it?" she asked. The innocence in her voice sent a painful pang through Naruto.

"I... okay here goes..." he sighed and then threw caution to the wind. "I think that you and I aren't working out anymore."

That smile fell away and turned into a frown. Sakura was silent for a very long time and with every second that passed Naruto could feel the dread growing. He knew she wasn't going to yell. She would only cry and ask questions.

"Is it that Hinata girl?" Sakura asked him then, her eyes drilling holes into his. "Are you involved with her?"

Naruto's hands shot up in defense. "No. Really not. No."

"Then... why?"

That was a difficult thing to explain, even if he knew perfectly well why. He sat down on the couch next to her as he tried to find the right words, time dragging on and amplifying the tension in the air a thousandfold.

"I've been feeling this distance between us for a very long time now," Naruto eventually began. "I spent a long while hoping that it was just something temporary, that we would realize that we were being stupid. I hoped that we would try to fix things between us."

"But we have!" Sakura protested. She rose from the couch to face him, her hair flying around her in a furious pink cloud. "You had your job and I was busy around the house. we were doing so well again..." Her hands went to her temples, the fingers setting in angles and turning the limbs into pale spiders. "And at night, when we make love..."

Naruto shook his head and she fell silent.

"Sakura, listen to me," he said, upon which she shook her head. Her gaze fell away from him and her hair covered her features; she did not want him to see the first tears spill. "Sakura please." He stood up also and lifted her chin up so he could look at her. "Listen. You're right. We were getting back on track. But, and I'm so, so sorry for saying this, but we never would have been able to make things like the used to be. Those times are over. And please know that I will always love you without question. But I just can't keep going like this. If we don't do this now we'll do it in five years, and then it will only hurt more."

She shook her head vigorously, not willing to listen, not allowing the bad words to register in her mind and make them a reality.

"No!"

"...Yes."

"NO!"

"Sakura..."

"NO! NO! NO!" She was really crying now. There was nothing more that he could do about it. He watched as she sank to her knees and just cried into the palms of her hands. It was hell listening to her giving her misery voice.

"No... No... No..."

In the end he cried with her.

* * *

A week passed by quicker than he could have imagined. Sakura had left the apartment that Thursday with a suitcase in her arms and tears dripping down her chin. Naruto had tried every apology and every kind word that he could think of, but she wouldn't have any of it. She just told him that she would come by next week to pick up her stuff. He hadn't seen her since.

It had lifted an enormous boulder off his chest. Now he actually felt like he had breathing room and lots of it. This newfound freedom had prompted him to go over to Kakashi two days after the whole ordeal with Sakura. He had a message for the man and he knew that Kakashi wasn't going to enjoy hearing it, but that was alright. He could always compromise.

Naruto stated quite bluntly that he wanted to stop working on the Dagger mission. Kakashi had looked at him as if he were disturbed, but when Naruto's resolve hadn't wavered Kakashi had accepted this turn of events, but not until Naruto promised him to take every single measure so that the rest of the Demon Foxes could take over.

"I hope you know what you are doing," Kakashi had said to him, those bored eyes looking curious for a change. "If this is about the girl you better make this work. If you don't I might have to have you taken out."

"You can try that," Naruto had replied. "but if I find out it'll be you who ends up dead." After that they had shared a laugh and a beer and life had gone on as usual.

Now, a week later, Naruto was at work. In the past few days he had done his best to get Sakura out of his mind and he had done so with success for the most part. Hinata's continuous presence was a big help in that. He was getting accustomed to the routine that they were building up. It involved them going out early in the morning and then spending the afternoon in the patio. The weather was turning so they would have to spend those hours indoors soon, but for now he would just enjoy the sight of her sitting by the pond, a paintbrush behind her ear and her eyes twinkling in concentration.

However, today the routine would be broken. Today was special, although Naruto himself had forgotten this.

Just after they had come back from their morning shopping Hinata called Naruto into her room. As was customary he glanced over his shoulder to see if no one was spying. He had told Hinata before how it might give off a wrong impression if they were spotted like this, but Hinata did not seem to concern herself with that. So with the knowledge that protesting was pointless he went inside.

Hinata was standing opposite of him and she was holding something behind her back. Naruto couldn't help a confused frown.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" he asked.

She smiled at him and made him feel like butter on a hot plate. "I got you something for your birthday!" she chimed.

Naruto felt like he could smack himself. Of all the days in the world to forget about.

"Don't tell me you forgot it is your birthday!" Hinata exclaimed. "How do you do that?"

"My birthdays have never been all that special," Naruto admitted. "I just don't really celebrate it."

"Well, here's to new beginnings." She revealed the bag that she had been hiding.

Naruto took it from her after inclining his head in gratitude. In the bag was a box. When he opened it he burst out laughing.

"Oh wow," Naruto said, laughing. "That is incredible, Hinata. Thanks a million!"

She had given him a pair of sneakers. They were so orange that they made his tracksuit look yellow.

"I heard you say that orange is your favourite colour," she told him. "And I never got to thank you properly for what you did in the Park so..."

"This is brilliant!"

He then noticed a change in her demeanor. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, fearing that he had said something stupid.

"I... I w-wanted..." the stutter was back and that made Naruto nervous. Whatever came out of her mouth now would be a surprise.

"Iwantedtogiveyousomethingelsetoo," she blurted out the whole sentence in a single breath. "C-Close your eyes for a second, okay? Otherwise I don't think I can do this."

Very curious and mildly terrified, Naruto obliged her.

For a long while there was nothing. Then came the sound of feet shuffling on the carpet. And then...

It startled him so much that he almost yelled out. Something soft and sweet pressed against his lips. His eyes flared open wide in shock and they saw Hinata, her own eyes closed and her own lips brushing against his in a gentle and inexperienced first kiss. Her hands went up and found his face, her fingers resting along his chin.

The kiss lasted for a few seconds. Hinata grew redder with every one of those ticks of the clock. When she drew back she saw him looking at her, too stupified to speak.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled. "I just... That first day, when you joked about how I thought you were c-cute... I..."

But she didn't need to say anything. Naruto smiled at her and she fell silent. And ever so softly he kissed her now. He drank her in, needing her more than he had realized. He had wanted this so much more than he had been able to say. And now he didn't have to speak at all.

When they drew back Hinata looked at him, her lips curved up in serenity. She had made him smile too, and what she said that made him laugh like a lunatic.

"Oh god, Father is going to kill me."

* * *

 **So, Sakura...**

 **I read more than comment that said that Sakura was portrayed as a girl with no ambitions. My dearest anonymous reviewer pointed out that pre-timeskip Sakura could have behaved this way, but that she is far more determined and confident after the timeskip. And, what stood out to me most: "She isn't one to overly rely on others like that".**

 **I have to agree. Canon Sakura at the age of nineteen would have been a very determined, strong-hearted girl who does not need someone else to get by. That is the truth. Only this isn't canon Sakura. In the series she came to be that way because she realized the nature of the sinobi world and that she couldn't keep relying on other people to keep her safe. This story doesn't feature shinobi whatsoever. This particular Sakura stayed with her protective parents for seventeen years before moving out of the house. She has never known danger and hard times are a rarity for her. So, taking that into consederation, I think it's fully justified that Sakura is less driven to fend for herself.**

 **And that isn't even the actual reason that this particular Sakura acts the way she does. The paragraph above this explains her behaviour to _some_ degree, but it doesn't fully justify it. Once again I'd like to refer to how Sakura wouldn't depend on someone else. And that is still true. Because here's the thing:**

 **You have been reading this story solely from Naruto's eyes. We only see his emotions and interpretations of the events in the story. You have no actual idea of how Sakura feels or what drives her. Naruto comes home to her watching TV a lot, or her not having done anything around the house. And because his POV is the only one being used it is very easy to just take that as fact and think of Sakura as some useless tea towel of a character. But she's not. Not at all.**

 **Being the writer of the story has given me the privilige of having insight into the other character's minds as well. Just because I do not portray them doesn't mean that they don't exist. It's just that I want to tell this story through Naruto's eyes and his eyes alone. But, once again, that doesn't mean that my other characters can't think or have feelings.**

 **Sakura in particular is very interesting to me. Portraying her the way I have done so far (this chapter included) has all been done purposely. Just think about this: Maybe, juuuuuust maybe, Sakura feels like she is working very hard herself. She has no idea that Naruto even has a 'paying job' at the beginning of the story. She thinks he is unemployed. She sees him sitting around the house and she can tell that he might be depressed (which I think he is). What Sakura's response to this is, is trying to get Naruto to get his life back on track. That is what she perceives as her job. Making sure that her partner is happy and doesn't need her anymore to motivate himself. Does that make sense? It does to me :)**

 **So in short, Sakura is a very loving character. She loves Naruto like no one else in the world. The only reason why she seems so vindictive is because she thinks that it will help him do something with his life so he can find purpose. That is what _her_ purpose is. And the only reason why she comes across as a mean and distant is because that is the way Naruto feels. **

**But hey, if I convinced you all of that I guess I did a good job of portraying her the way I wanted to.**

 **Peace!**


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